


You Only Do It Once

by vanillahigh00



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Engagement, F/M, M/M, Moving, Moving In Together, New Job, New Town, Past, Wedding Planning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-01-24 16:28:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 33,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21341230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vanillahigh00/pseuds/vanillahigh00
Summary: Patrick and Rachel are engaged and attempting to plan their wedding when life finds them in Schitt's Creek.Patrick doesn't expect to see David Rose when he moves to Schitt's Creek. Patrick and David met many years ago.Patrick and David are both in relationships now. How does seeing each other again impact those relationships?
Relationships: Patrick Brewer & David Rose, Patrick Brewer/David Rose, Patrick Brewer/Rachel, Stevie Budd & David Rose, Stevie Budd/David Rose
Comments: 62
Kudos: 71





	1. Prologue: I Wonder If I'll Ever See You Again

**Author's Note:**

> This is a previously written story. I was about 15 chapters in and decided I could write this story better.
> 
> For those who previously read, thank you for rereading. The plot of the story is not changing, but the journey may change with some additional twists. I never completed the original version before I started rewriting. We will get to the end together.
> 
> I was going to break this into parts, but this may end just being one really long multi-chapter fic.
> 
> I thank everyone for reading! Please leave any and all feedback! 
> 
> Happy Reading!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where it all started...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added a prologue to this story. Chapter 2 was previously published as chapter 1. You will notice a time jump when you get to chapter 2. Chapter 2 is not new and you may have already read it. 
> 
> A special thank you to my amazing betas on this chapter [ aelia_gioia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aelia_gioia/pseuds/aelia_gioia) and [ julywonder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/julywonder/pseuds/julywonder). They both gave me some amazing feedback on this chapter. Thank you so so much! <3

Patrick had been sharing a pitcher of beer with the group he was out with until he looked over and saw a member of the group sitting up at the bar by himself. Patrick excused himself from his friends and headed straight toward the lonely guy at the bar. Patrick was one of those people who liked everyone until he was given a reason not to, so he mustered up the courage to approach the man who appeared to be an outsider.

"Hi, are you in the Rose Video Training?" 

The guy sitting at the bar looked at him and deadpanned, "Yes, unfortunately." 

Patrick felt the chill in the room after this man spoke. Maybe he had a bad day and could use some company. "The rest of the team is sitting at those tables back there, we'd love it if you joined us."

David furrowed his brow and wrinkled his nose as he replied, "I'm trying really hard not to connect with people right now." David really had no interest in pretending to play nice with any of the other employees, although he knew that was what his father would've wanted.

Patrick was determined to introduce himself despite this man's reluctance to be social. He held out his hand, "Hi, I'm Patrick, one of the trainees." 

The guy sitting at the bar hesitated for a moment but accepted his hand in return. "I'm David." 

Patrick's body suddenly tingled at the sensation of this man's skin. It was something new and definitely not something familiar. All from a handshake? Patrick wanted to dismiss the feeling, but instead, he was fascinated by this man and wanted to spend more time with him. "Do you mind if I sit down?" For some reason unknown to Patrick, he was drawn to David and hoped he would let him sit for a while. 

David flashed a closed-mouth smile. "Yes, I would like that very much." He was surprised that this seemingly straight boy was willing to sit down and have a drink with him. It wouldn't be the first time he found himself sitting next to a boy where he assumed his preferences, and it probably wouldn't be the last. David was used to straight boys buying him a drink because they thought he was cute or looking for a night of experimental fun. Either way, he welcomed the company. Patrick looked pretty good in what was probably Target branded jeans. They hugged his ass perfectly, and David imagined how he'd love to get his hands on Patrick's shapely tush. 

"Are you Johnny Rose's son? I noticed a slight resemblance." Patrick wanted to know more about the mysterious and attractive dark-haired loner. He certainly dressed well, not a single hair out of place. David appeared to be very confident, and it was evident in the way he walked in and out of each of the training sessions, always keeping to himself. He never joined the team for lunch breaks. What was his deal? 

David laughed, "I want to open my own art gallery, but I need start-up money. My father won't help me unless I 'try out' the family business. This very fun training is part of that." 

Patrick had traveled to New York City for the managerial Rose Video Training. It was a requirement of the company that all managers and assistant managers visit the company's headquarters to finalize their promotion.

"Are you an artist?" Patrick was intrigued as he didn't have a creative bone in his body. He enjoyed looking at reports and analyzing data. Patrick appreciated the arts but wouldn't have ever considered himself artistic in any way, shape, or form.

"I draw from time to time."

"Could I see some of your work?" 

"I haven't been able to draw anything worthy of the light of day in a while." David looked down at his empty glass. He entered college after he graduated from high school with the intent of studying art, but after a year or so, he decided it wasn't for him and dropped out. There was no rush to determine the rest of his life. He could live off his trust funds. Since David left school, he hadn't been able to draw, paint, or sketch. He tried not to connect his lack of interest with the fact he was no longer in school. He hated college just as much as he hated high school.

Patrick continued to look at David as they lost eye contact. He grabbed his shoulder and said gently, "I bet you're harder on yourself than you should be." 

"That's a nice thing to say. Can I buy you a drink?" Even though they probably had nothing in common, David liked Patrick. He hoped a drink would keep him sitting next to David for a while longer. 

Patrick nodded, "How about a beer?" 

As the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, David started to ponder that maybe this training wouldn't be as bad as he initially thought. After all, Patrick was adorable and couldn't have been much more than 20-21? A little younger than David, but age was just a number. His brain started to short circuit as he attempted to discreetly look this man up and down. He pictured what he could do with Patrick's strong arms and thick thighs. As the delicious thoughts crowded his mind, the bartender snapped him out of his reverie. 

"Mr. Rose…. here's your beer and cosmopolitan."

"Thanks, Jackie." 

It was probably for the best that the drinks arrived at that moment. David assumed that Patrick was straight, so there was no use in imagining anything else was going to happen tonight. At the very least he could enjoy the company of a cute boy.

David passed Patrick's beer over, and Patrick raised the glass to David, who followed suit. "To new friends."

David clinked his glass with Patrick's. As their glasses connected, David caught a glimpse of Patrick's bright eyes. If David wasn't careful, he knew Patrick was going to see right through him. After several failed relationship attempts, David had built a wall around his heart. The less he let himself feel, the easier it was when a significant other moved on to someone else. At such a young age, he already felt like the human equivalent of the inside of a roasted marshmallow. But somehow, in the short time they had been talking, Patrick made David feel at ease like they'd known each other for ages. If David wasn't careful, this guy could start dismantling his walls, and David wasn't entirely sure that he didn't want him to.

Conversation flowed freely. David and Patrick laughed and jabbed at each other. It was quite easy for these two, especially considering they were polar opposites. David couldn't believe how much he enjoyed the company of a straight, mid-ranged denim wearing business major from Toronto while Patrick was astonished at how much he was laughing. He hadn't laughed this hard in so long. 

After a bit of time, David overheard a song playing at the bar. He started moving in his seat and got up. "Patrick, come dance with me. I love this song!"

Patrick never danced. He was as stiff as a board and just didn't have a feel for musical tempo or beat. Rachel, his girlfriend back home, tried to get him on the dance floor at every high school dance and prom. He gave in for slow songs but otherwise sat back with the guys while the ladies tore up the dance floor. Patrick never had any interest in trying, but when David grabbed his hand, Patrick followed. He would have followed him anywhere and didn't understand why.

By the time they hit the dance floor while Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" played, Patrick had consumed several beers, and David had downed a few cosmos followed by a few polar bear shots. Their bodies moved to the beat as they faced each other. Patrick just let his body move while he focused on David. He watched David's curves slowly move in a circular motion. His stomach and pelvic region would gently roll. Patrick wasn't even aware that one's body could move in such a manner. He found it surprisingly hot. He had watched the girls move similarly at home, but they couldn't move like David, and they certainly didn't excite Patrick like David did. What was going on? Why did he enjoy watching another guy dance? It was the beer….Patrick was losing all control….all inhibition. In any sober state, he wouldn't feel like this. It just didn't make sense. 

David was feeling the song and moving with the music. He could feel his mouth open wider as his cheeks started to hurt. He couldn't help it as he enjoyed watching Patrick struggle to find a rhythm with his moves. "I take it you don't dance much."

Patrick chuckled, "Is it that obvious?"

"Your legs move like tree trunks. I wouldn't suggest taking ballet lessons anytime soon."

"Noted." Patrick laughed. Patrick was well aware of his lack of rhythm on the dancefloor, but regardless of how ridiculous he probably looked, he enjoyed the smile on David's face. He was having fun. Patrick didn't know anyone here and felt too good to really care what anyone else thought. 

The song ended, and the pair made their way back to the bar.

"I've never danced with a guy before. That was different." Patrick smiled. 

Patrick was a very sociable person. In high school, he was captain of the baseball team and spent a lot of time with the jocks but was not accustomed to checking out other guys. Patrick had seen plenty of guys naked in the men's locker room after games. Sure, he sized them up as most guys do...always looking to find out who is more prominent. For some reason, everything was different with David. Patrick was checking him out. Patrick was trying to make sense of what was going through his mind. He had Rachel back home, and he loved her. This was just a drunken encounter with another human being. Nothing more and nothing less. In a couple more days, this would all be over, and David Rose would be a distant memory.

They ordered another round of drinks as the conversation took a more serious turn when Patrick started asking David about his dreams of opening a gallery.

"Why do you need your Dad's money to open the gallery if you have your own trust fund?" Patrick came from a middle-class family where trust funds weren't part of their vocabulary. He couldn't understand why David couldn't spend his money as he saw fit.

"I don't have access to the trust fund until I turn thirty. Clearly, my parents don't feel that a twenty-something can handle their own money." David's parents had given him a credit card to spend as he needed, but that never included the expense of opening a gallery in New York City. His parents never gave him a cap on what he was allowed to spend, but they made it very clear that he was not to attempt to open a gallery without their permission or risk being cut off financially. David loved his money, and what it allowed him to do so, he suffered silently.

"It makes no sense why your Dad is forcing you to work for Rose Video before helping you out." Patrick couldn't understand why a parent wouldn't be willing to help out their child. 

Patrick reached for some peanuts in the bowl between them. As he reached inside, he connected with David's hand and squeezed it as a now-familiar wave of electricity bolted through him. They continued to talk as Patrick's hand stayed wrapped around David's.

"My Dad wants to expand the family business. It's his dream, not mine. I really don't think he has confidence in me." David took a sip of his drink, not quite believing he was sharing this with someone. "I'm not that close to my parents. We don't sit down and have Sunday dinners or anything. I've always felt like I was just a possession and not really their child."

"David, that sounds awful." Patrick didn't know what else to say, so he tried to distract David by changing back the topic to his gallery. "Do you have any pictures of anything you've created, even if it's an older piece? I'd really like to see it. I bet it's beautiful." Patrick knew whatever David created had to be exquisite because David himself was stunning. He caught himself short. Patrick had noticed that other guys were good looking, but David was hotter than any guy should be allowed to be. Why was he thinking of David this way?

David grabbed his phone and brought up a few images. David warned him that the quality of the photos was suspect at best, but it would give him a sample of David's work. He wasn't one to just trust people, and even at that moment, David wasn't sure he could trust Patrick, but David wanted to. Something in his gut told him this was safe. It had been a while since someone showed interest in him as a person and not what he could do for that individual. David had become accustomed to people snuggling up to David for money or some other favor because of his family's connections. Patrick didn't appear to be like any of those people. He slowly passed his phone to Patrick, nervously waiting for his reaction. Even though David had just met Patrick, his opinion suddenly mattered. He was one of the few people who seemed to want David happy. 

"Wow, David. You are talented. I can't even draw a stick figure." Patrick looked through sketches of people, maybe his family or friends, and paintings of possibly different locations within the city. 

David's lips parted to one side in a small formation of a smile. "You really think so?" 

Patrick squeezed David's hand again. "If you're determined to open this gallery, I think you should. You are very talented. Talk to your Dad again. Maybe you can work part-time for Rose Video to raise money to help fund the gallery opening."

"I'm not really interested in that option, but I may not have a choice." David knew what Patrick was saying made a lot of sense. Maybe he just needed to hear that again. 

"David, you can do this, and when you do, make sure you invite me to your gallery's opening. I can't wait to see it." Patrick could see how torn up David was, and as much as it appeared that David had everything, he really didn't. He needed a friend, and at least at that moment, Patrick could be that for him. Patrick reached over and wrapped his arms around David's shoulders, pulling him in for a hug.

David wrapped his arms around Patrick's waist, latching onto him tightly. He didn't let go right away but instead rested his head on Patrick's sturdy shoulders for several breaths. When he finally pulled away, David stared at Patrick's bright brown eyes before letting his gaze drift down to Patrick's lips. They looked so soft, so inviting. He couldn't help himself. Even though he knew he'd be rejected or get in trouble, he went for it anyway. He slowly moved in towards Patrick, attempting to close the gap between them.

Patrick knew what was coming, and he couldn't let it happen. There was a part of him that was curious. He had heard stories about butterflies and tingles when kissing the right person, but he didn't believe in any of that. Patrick hadn't experienced those types of sensations with any of the girls he had kissed and wondered if it would feel different with David. But it wasn't right. How would he explain this to Rachel? Sure, it was reasonable to experiment at his age, but he had sobered up enough to know better. He turned his head to the side. "I'm sorry, David. I have a girlfriend. Her name is Rachel." 

"Fuck! I knew it!" David thought, hanging his head. "I'm so sorry. Clearly, too many cosmos clouded my judgment." He knew Patrick was straight, but yet he went for it anyway. What did he really expect to happen? That Patrick would suddenly realize he was into guys and go home with him? If there was one thing David knew, it was that everyone experimented, and at least for tonight, David had hoped Patrick was no different. Except he was different. He was unlike anyone else David had known, which was what made this rejection sting that much more. 

Patrick could see the disappointment written all over David's face, and all at once, it occurred to him that maybe he led David on. Did he actually flirt with David? They danced, which was something Patrick had never done with any of his guy friends back home. What did he do? Patrick was just enjoying himself until he realized maybe he had overstepped. Patrick's body started to tense up at the thought that he hurt David. Patrick didn't really know David that well, but Patrick never liked to hurt anyone. He took a deep breath and tipped up David's chin. 

"Please don't apologize. If anything, I owe you an apology. I shouldn't have let things go too far. I was just having such a great time and didn't realize —" 

David cut him off. "Patrick, it wasn't you. We're drunk, and I got carried away." David realized that he had to put some space between them because David knew Patrick was genuinely sorry, but he didn't know how to process that. He wasn't used to people being so nice to him. 

"Maybe we should get some rest and catch up tomorrow?"

"I'd like that, David." Patrick wasn't sure how to feel. He sensed that David was still hurt and hated to see him leave, but maybe it was necessary before anything else happened. They'd sleep it off, and everything would be fine in the morning. Patrick would be able to make sure David was ok and maybe grab lunch together. 

David got up and took a final lingering look at Patrick. He memorized his soft light brown curly hair, his kind eyes, and everything else. David knew he'd fall asleep thinking about Patrick's hands-on him or how Patrick's legs would wrap around him. He flashed Patrick a partial smile, said goodbye, left some cash on the bar, and quickly made his way out. David made his way outside and leaned his head against the building. He closed his eyes for a moment as David sensed the ache in his chest. Why did he feel so much? Fucking Patrick Brewer appeared to be perfect in every way. He was everything David ever wanted but could never have. David had fallen for a boy who had a girlfriend back home. He wanted to see Patrick again, but he couldn't. Not as long as he knew Patrick was with someone.

*****

Patrick walked into the training session the next morning and looked all around. He sat down as the training facilitator announced that David had left the training session early and would not be returning.

Patrick felt terrible about what had happened last night. He really wanted to make sure that David was ok. He wondered if he would ever see David again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on tumblr under "vanillahigh00." I don't post much as I am navigating the tumblr world, but feel free to talk to me on there! 
> 
> You can also find me on IG under "vanilla_high_00."
> 
> Kudos and feedback keep me going!
> 
> Each chapter's title will be based on a song. I will be storing a playlist for this fic on Spotify. Chapter 1's title is based on the song, "Again" By Lenny Kravitz.
> 
> The playlist can be found [here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0l0LLTswXGeOLJ8jpwrDZ6?si=D-TjIwP7SV-jX6gg2bkx2g)! I hope you enjoy it!


	2. What Is Love?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patrick looked back at Rachel, “Are you giving me an ultimatum?” 
> 
> “Consider it what you want. If you wanted me, we would have been married by now.”
> 
> “You really don’t believe that, do you?”
> 
> Rachel was completely flabbergasted by Patrick’s calm response, “Are you seriously asking me that right now?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! This chapter is unbetaed....all mistakes are my own!

_ *Ten Years Later*_

"What time is it, babe?" Rachel peeked up at the alarm clock and looked over at Patrick, who was fast asleep. She rolled over and kissed his cheek and down his jawline as a smile formed on his face. 

Patrick rolled over and smiled at Rachel. It was Saturday morning, and Rachel had spent the night at Patrick's apartment. "Looks like it's about 9am. What time is our appointment today?"

Rachel grinned, "10am. We should probably get up and start getting dressed. I would love to have you join me in the shower, except we'll never get to our appointment on time."

Patrick smiled, "Agreed. Why don't you hop in the shower, and I'll whip up some breakfast?" Patrick kissed Rachel on the cheek and got up to get some eggs and bacon going. 

Rachel was so excited they were finally going to start wedding planning. They started dating in highschool but had only been engaged for the past year. Rachel and Patrick's relationship had been anything but smooth sailing as they had taken several breaks since they met over ten years ago.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Just Over A Year Ago:

"Patrick, what the fuck are we doing here? Do you see yourself with me or not?" Rachel was done waiting. It was now or never. 

"Rach, you know the answer to that." Patrick responded nonchalantly. Rachel was the only woman that Patrick wanted to be with. They were compatible in every way that mattered. He couldn't understand why she was questioning this.

"Would I be asking if I knew the answer? I love you, Patrick Brewer, but I'm almost 30 years old and have wasted over 10 years of my life with a man who hasn't shown any interest in putting a ring on my finger. I want children, and I'm not getting any younger."

Patrick walked over to Rachel and grabbed her hands, "Rachel, what are you telling me?"

Rachel pulled away, "Patrick, we either get married, or I'm done. I'm not playing this game anymore. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, but if you don't want me, let's end this now."

Patrick looked back at Rachel, "Are you giving me an ultimatum?" 

"Consider what you want. If you wanted me, we would've been married by now."

"You really don't believe that, do you?" 

Rachel was utterly flabbergasted by Patrick's calm response, "Are you seriously asking me that right now?"

Rachel headed over to Patrick, gave him a soft kiss on the lips and headed to the door, "I am leaving now Patrick. This is officially goodbye unless you are ready to put a ring on my finger."

Patrick proposed not even a week later.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Patrick and Rachel arrived at the Country Club with Patrick's mother, Marcy, and Rachel's mother, Linda. 

"Oh, this is absolutely beautiful." Rachel exclaimed with glee as they pulled into the Country Club. The front of the building was adorned by a beautiful water fountain. 

Patrick brought Rachel in check, "This is nice, but let's look at their costs and what we are getting for the money we're spending. There are other places we can probably look into for less money." Patrick was always frugal when it came to spending money, and because of this, he hesitated to get engaged, fearing the expense of a wedding.

Marcy came to Rachel's defense, "Patrick, you're only going to get married once, and the wedding day is really a bride's day. Let Rachel enjoy this. You don't have to pinch every penny for this one special day. You two have waited long enough for this."

Patrick's skin prickled as he contemplated his mother's words:

ONE.SPECIAL.DAY  
GETTING.MARRIED.ONCE.

Scarier thoughts enter his mind:

_ What if we don't work out?_

_ What if we get a divorce?_

_ Will my parents disown me because I couldn't make my marriage work?_

_ What if we have kids and get a divorce?_

_ Divorce is so hard on children._

Patrick forced these thoughts to vanish from his mind convincing himself it was only cold feet. Patrick had been with a handful of other girls, but Rachel was the only girl he could see himself with long term. Patrick was convinced things would work out this time as long as he could get through these pre-wedding nerves.

"I understand the financial strain of planning a wedding is stressful, but we'll be glad to chip in and help. We've been waiting for this day since you two started dating in high school." Linda added in. 

Patrick nodded in agreement, "This is a losing battle…three of you against myself. If this is the place that Rachel really wants, we'll find a way to make it work. This may mean fewer date nights, but we'll find a way to make it work." Patrick then wrapped his arms around Rachel's shoulder, pulling her in for a kiss on her temple. 

Rachel turned around to face Patrick with a big smile. Patrick loved Rachel's smile. She really was beautiful inside and out. Rachel pulled in Patrick for a short, sweet kiss, "I love this place, and yes, it's expensive, so let's check out all our options before we commit to a venue." Rachel really didn't care where they got married as long as she had Patrick. 

The rest of the visit went well. Patrick tried to tune out the ladies as much as possible. He really had no interest in planning his wedding. He figured Rachel, Marcy, and Linda would do a great job without him. 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Patrick and Rachel had dropped the mom's off and went back to his place.

Rachel remembered waking up this morning and wanting to stay in bed. As they entered the apartment, Rachel started to kiss Patrick. She stopped, took Patrick's hand, and led him into the bedroom. Rachel began to kiss Patrick's cheek and trailed down his neck as she started to unbutton his shirt. 

Rachel pushed Patrick on the bed and pulled off her top. She climbed back on Patrick and reached down to kiss Patrick again as she said, "It's going to be so much fun making babies with you once we are married." 

Patrick turned his head away, "Rach, I can't think about babies right now." Conversations about wedding planning were typically a mood killer for Patrick, but since Rachel was going to spend the night, he wanted to attempt to satisfy her. Adding babies into the conversation was a deal-breaker for the night. He was going to have to let her down gently. Patrick knew if they tried, they would both end up frustrated and disappointed. He didn't want to end the evening that way.  
"All I can think of is the amount of money it's going to cost to give you the wedding of your dreams. I'm sorry…. I am just a numbers guy." 

Rachel reached back down to kiss Patrick again, "Let's not worry about babies. I'm sorry I brought that up." Rachel sighed and rolled over onto her side to face Patrick and continued, "Let's just enjoy this time alone together." 

Patrick rolled over on his side and pulled Rachel in toward him, "I'm sorry, Rach. Please forgive me."

Rachel, disappointed, replied, "I just wish you wouldn't give up so easily."

"I know that's not easy for you. You know I can't take care of you when I'm stressed. This is me...for better or for worse." 

Rachel grinned, "I'm going to get you to explode magnificently one of these days, Patrick Brewer...you'll see, and you'll learn to love sex. Mark my words."

Patrick wasn't convinced, but he did want to reassure her things would be ok as he responded, "Weddings generally are expensive. We’ll figure this out."

Rachel half smiled, "I know we will...we always do. Let's order pizza and watch a movie."

"What did you have in mind," Patrick asked.

"Speed?" Rachel asked with a smile.

Patrick nodded in agreement.

Patrick and Rachel settled into their movie, as their pizza was delivered. 

Patrick's phone buzzed. Patrick's boss, Cheryl, had texted him asking him to come into the office tomorrow to work with a big client. Patrick worked for a large accounting firm.

Rachel looked over at Patrick, "Who was that?"

Patrick started to slowly get up and responded, "Cheryl needs me in the office tomorrow for a major client. I need to head to bed a little early." Patrick kissed Rachel on the cheek and got up, "Good Night, Rach."

"Good Night Paddy."

Patrick climbed into bed and just laid there thinking about the day and reflected on his relationship with Rachel.

He didn't always get off when they had sex. Patrick and Rachel had just come to accept that as a Patrick quirk. It never seemed to bother Rachel; however, she definitely had a better sexual appetite than Patrick. She was convinced that one day, things would be better, and hopefully, that time would come by the time they were ready to have children.

The reality of the situation was that Patrick was going to have to figure out how to enjoy sex. Patrick put in a reminder in his cell phone to research ways to spice up his sex life while he was bored at work tomorrow. He was determined to make this work. Patrick came close to losing Rachel for good once before, and he wasn't going to make that mistake again. He knew they meant to be together. 

Patrick eventually drifted off to sleep, knowing he loved Rachel, and he would make this work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Each chapter's title will be based on a song. I will be storing a playlist for this fic on Spotify. This chapter's title is based on the song, "What Is Love?" By Haddaway. 
> 
> The playlist can be found [here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0l0LLTswXGeOLJ8jpwrDZ6?si=D-TjIwP7SV-jX6gg2bkx2g)! I hope you enjoy it!


	3. Just Give Me A Reason

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone wants to know when Patrick and Rachel are getting married. They talk about it and it takes an emotional turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A special thank you to my amazing beta on this chapter [ julywonder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/julywonder/pseuds/julywonder) who gave me some great feedback on this chapter. Thank you so so much! <3

Rachel laid in bed and thought about yesterday, more importantly, last night. The evening went downhill the moment Rachel mentioned children. Maybe it was a bit much to talk about the wedding and babies, but they had talked about having kids on countless occasions. They wanted two boys and two girls. They had even started talking about names but hadn't committed to any names definitively. 

Patrick and Rachel's relationship was not perfect. It really had been an upside-down, twisty roller coaster since they met. Every time Rachel would push for more, they would fall into a slump and break up. It never took much to get Patrick to agree to get back together. The breakups seemed more like a relationship pause than an actual break up because they always found their way back to each other. To Rachel, it was that Patrick needed space periodically, which she always gave him, but each time she knew it wouldn't last long. It was reconfirmed when she would send him random texts or ask him to go to a baseball game. Each time they reunited, they were back together by the end of the night. Some of their 'break ups' would last a few days, but once they entered college, they did break up months at a time here and there. Rachel knew it would all work out in the end because you're supposed to "sow your wild oats" or something in college, and now here they sit...finally engaged about ten years later. Now, if she could only get Patrick to set a date.

Rachel planned to go to lunch with some girlfriends today as she knew Patrick was working. He didn't typically get called in on a Sunday, but today was an exception. They usually spent most, if not the entire weekend together, if something else wasn't going on. Rachel would pack a bag and spend the weekend at Patrick's. They would go on hikes, check out local sporting events, movies, bowling, and sometimes lounging on Patrick's couch watching Hell's Kitchen, Master Chef, Top Chef, or any other reality cooking competition. There wasn't much they weren't willing to do together. 

Rachel was due to meet the girls around noon, and it was about 10:30. She hopped in the shower, got dressed, and left to meet the girls.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
Patrick had completed all the necessary preparation for his client meeting today which would begin in an hour or so. He checked his phone for messages and found a text from his mom. 

**Mom:** The Country Club is beautiful. Have you and Rachel talked about checking out other locations?

**Patrick:** Honestly, Mom, we haven't.

**Mom:** I'm just so excited for you and Rachel. Please let me know what I can do to help.

**Patrick:** Thanks, Mom. I'll let you know if we need any help. I love you.

**Mom:** I love you, my sweet boy.

He knew his mom meant well, and he knew he really needed to focus on the wedding. Patrick loved spending time with Rachel, and he couldn't picture any situation where she wasn't part of his life, but he was having a hard time getting on board with the idea of a wedding. He kept telling Rachel it was due to money or due to work, but those were just excuses. Patrick had funds in the bank. He wasn't much of a spender. Even Patrick surprised himself at how much money was sitting in his savings account. He wasn't going to be able to justify any delays in wedding planning for much longer. If Rachel didn't push him, his mother would.

It wasn't long after his text exchange with his mom that his boss Cheryl peeked into his office. "I'm so sorry to call you in on a Sunday. I'm sure you and Rachel have a lot going on with the wedding coming up." 

Cheryl pulled up a chair and sat down in front of Patrick's desk. She was about 10 years older than Patrick. They got along well. He often thought of her as the older sister he never had since Patrick was an only child.

Patrick sighed and responded, "We haven't set a date yet. We're just starting to look at reception hall venues." 

Cheryl's brow furrowed and asked, "What are you waiting for? Haven't you guys been together since high school?"

Patrick answered, "Yes, but we've been off and on ever since." 

He knew their relationship had to sound pathetic. Most couples would have figured out whether they were meant to be together or not within a few years. If he knew that Rachel was the one, then getting married was the next logical step. Yes, they kept breaking up, but he believed they were meant to be. Maybe even soulmates. They both dated other people, and it never worked. 

"Well, you guys either need to get your crap together and get married or just call it a day. You two have waited long enough. You're sure she's the one?" 

Patrick smiled. "She's the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. She's the only woman willing to put up with my shit." Patrick really had put Rachel through a lot. It was always Patrick who was calling it off, and Rachel putting them back together. 

Cheryl got up and headed to the door and left Patrick with one final thought, "If she's a smart woman and I suspect she is, she'll make an honest man out of you and get you to that altar sooner rather than later. Don't keep her waiting, Patrick."

Patrick chuckled as he watched Cheryl head down the hallway. 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Rachel arrived at the restaurant first. It was a nice little restaurant that included a variety of entrees. She grabbed a table and sat down. 

Rachel's friend Kristen arrived next, and a little while later, Dawn showed up. The girls exchanged hugs and kisses on the cheeks and sat down. 

Rachel suddenly noticed a very prominent and shiny piece of jewelry on Dawn's ring finger and gasped, "Dawn, what is that on your finger?"

Dawn's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Kevin proposed! We already set a date for next fall."

Rachel smiled and congratulated Dawn, envious of the fact that she already had a date set. She just saw Dawn a couple weeks ago, and she wasn't engaged then. 

Dawn went on talking about how excited she was to plan a fall wedding with pretty bright fall colors. 

Rachel had been dreaming of a fall wedding for years full of rich, vibrant reds and magentas.

Kristen chimed in about her wedding, "I can't believe our wedding is about six months away now."

"Where did you guys book?" Dawn asked. 

Kristen's face lit up as she described this big hall with crystal chandeliers. Each of the tables would feature a white tablecloth with a pastel palette of baby blues and pinks covering each chair. She talked about the beautiful flower gardens that adorned the grounds surrounding the hall and the way the sunset colored the sky in brilliant hues of pinks and reds as a backdrop for wedding photos.

Rachel, faking a smile, commented, "Kristen, that all sounds so beautiful. It sounds like you have it all planned out."

Kristen smiled, "Thanks, Rach! We are so excited! How are things going with you and Patrick? Have you guys set a date?"

Rachel casually replied, "No, we haven't set a date. I've been busy with school and Patrick with work."

"Kristen chided her, "Rachel, you guys have been together since you were kids. It's time to get married already!"

Hoping to end the discussion, Rachel replied firmly, "Things are good with us." But if Rachel was honest with herself, she wasn't sure that things really were good with them. The more she listened to her friends, the less confidence Rachel had in the man she wanted most in this world, the same person she had been in love with for about half her life.

"Rach, you know I love you, and I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but are you sure he wants to get married? Is he holding back?" 

Rachel attempted to respond as calmly as possible, though she found this whole line of questioning infuriating. "Patrick and I have been through a lot, but we are here and engaged. He wouldn't have proposed if he didn't want to marry me."

Dawn joined the conversation. "Rach, I think what Kristen is trying to say is that we aren't sure if Patrick is really the right guy for you. How many times have you guys broken up and gotten back together?"

Rachel was clearly irritated by this point. "I appreciate your concern, but Patrick and I are fine. He is the love of my life. Yes, things have been messy, but Patrick and I will make it to the altar. You'll see."

"We love Patrick. He's a great guy. We just want to make sure he really makes you happy."

Rachel forced a smile, "Everything is going to be ok."

The conversation shifted to other topics that Rachel tuned out. She couldn't let go of the comments her friends made.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Rachel entered her house and found her mom, Linda, was home.

"Hi honey, how was lunch with the girls?" Linda asked.

Rachel's face fell. "Not good, mom. Not good."

Linda patted the space beside her. Rachel sat down and was pulled into a tight hug." Want to talk about it?"

The tears that Rachel fought back while she was with her friends appeared. "The girls basically think Patrick and I should break up and call off the wedding."

"Oh, honey. Why would the girls think that?"

Rachel hesitated. She couldn't believe she was going to share this with her mom. "All the breakups, and because we still haven't set a date. They don't think he's going to commit." Rachel felt her body tense up as she finally said that out loud. She had been pondering Patrick's ability to commit to her for a while, and it seemed her friends had questioned it as well. Admitting that it was a possibility was too much. She had tried to block the voices in her head, but her concerns were validated today.

Linda could see her daughter was hurting and wanted to do all she could reassure her. "The two of you definitely have had your share of ups and downs, but we just visited a reception hall site. I think he's finally coming around. He just needed to do this on his own schedule."

"I know he loves me, mom, but I don't understand why he's moving so slow. What if he's having second thoughts?" 

"Patrick is such a good man. He wouldn't have proposed if he didn't want to marry you, sweetheart." Linda squeezed her daughter's hand and continued, "If you have any doubts, you need to talk to him."

"Thanks, Mom," Rachel said, giving her mom a small smile, grateful for her suggestion.

Her mom was right. She needed to talk to Patrick. Rachel needed him to give her a reason they would be ok. She wasn't quite sure what she needed to feel better about their relationship after today, but Rachel thought she would know after they spoke. Rachel tried to convince her friends earlier, but the more she thought about it, she had to prove to herself everything would be ok.

Rachel grabbed her phone and texted Patrick:

**Rachel**: Hi Babe, can I come over tonight? 

**Patrick**: Of course. I think we need to talk about some things.

**Rachel**: Is everything ok? (sad face emoji)

**Patrick**: Yes, everything is fine. I just wanted to run some things by you.

**Rachel**: What time? 

**Patrick**: How about 5? I’ll make Spaghetti and Meatballs if you’re hungry.

**Rachel**: Sounds delicious. See you soon (happy face emoji).

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Rachel arrived at Patrick's a few hours later and greeted Patrick with a quick, soft kiss. They sat down to eat right away as Patrick had everything ready. 

"How was your day?" Rachel asked quietly. 

In between bites of spaghetti, Patrick shared why he had to go into work today. He paused and sighed for a moment. 

"Paddy, what's wrong?" Rachel asked. Patrick did say he wanted to talk to her about something. 

"Cheryl, at work, asked me if we set a date for the wedding, and my mom texted me, asking if we were going to go visit other venues." 

Rachel looked down at her hands, trying to hide the tears slowly forming in her eyes. She didn't want Patrick to see her cry. "I had lunch with Kristen and Dawn today, and the conversation revolved around wedding talks. Kristen's wedding is about 6 months away. We talked all about her venue and this wonderful DJ they hired. Dawn and Kevin just got engaged too, which was wonderful to hear." 

Rachel had to pause and swallow past the lump in her throat. She continued, trying to keep her voice from trembling, "They asked about us, and I told them we haven't started planning." At that moment, Rachel couldn't hold back anymore, and the flood gates opened.

Patrick reached over and pulled Rachel into an all-encompassing hug. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Rachel looked up at Patrick, eyes were swollen red and asked, "Do you really not know?" 

Rachel has wanted to marry Patrick for years, for more than a decade. She tried to date other guys and found no one like Patrick -- in the way he made her laugh; in the way, he always opened her car door, held her hand, and placed constant little kisses on her forehead, cheek or nose; in the way she always felt safe and secure in his arms. But if she were honest, no other guy made her cry like him either.

Rachel pushed away from Patrick. She got up from the table and walked over to Patrick's window and stared outside. "Patrick, you love me, right?" 

She suddenly felt Patrick's hands on her shoulders as he started to work them into a massage.

"You know I do. I love you, Rachel. Could you please turn around?"

Rachel turned to face Patrick. He held her hand and led her over to the couch, and they sat down. 

"Patrick, we need to set a date. We need to get serious about planning this wedding. You don't have to do the planning. I'll visit sites with the Moms. Just please say we can set a date." Rachel was desperate to move forward, feeling like she was in this holding pattern. Her friends weren't wrong, but her mother made sense too. 

Patrick asked her where all this urgency was stemming from. He felt the pressure on his end, especially after talking to his mom and his boss, but something must have happened for Rachel to push so suddenly. They just visited a hall yesterday. He thought they were in a great place. They were finally making progress even if it was at a snail's pace.

"Patrick, we've been together forever. There is no good reason why we aren't already married. It's not easy to go out with the girls and listen to stories about their upcoming weddings when I can't get my fiance to help me plan ours. I need to know what's going on. I need to know you want this too," Rachel pleaded. Why did Rachel always have to initiate progress in their relationship? As much as she loved him, it had started to become exhausting. For once, she needed him to fight for her the way she had many times before.

Patrick grabbed Rachel's hands in his and said, "You've been busy with school and me with work. I figured we'd start planning when the timing was right."

Rachel tried to remain patient and understanding, but with everything that has happened today, she has reached her limit. She was so frustrated that she had to blink back tears from her eyes. It hurt, but Rachel refused to cry again. She bit out, "Patrick, if we wait for the time to be right, we'll never get married. We have wasted so much time.", 

Patrick tried to tip her chin up, but she moved her face away. He was starting to understand what was going on. She didn't have to tell him that the girls probably tried to convince her that Patrick was no good for her and that he couldn't commit. Patrick had to prove them wrong. Rachel deserved better than that. She was right as they had been together long enough. It was time to get married. Patrick was ready to get serious about this, but he was a planner. Patrick needed to look at the project schedule at work before he could pick a date. He wanted to know if he definitely had enough money in the bank to give Rachel the wedding she really wanted. She really deserved it. As rocky as their relationship had been, they made it work. He was positive he wouldn't find that with any other woman. He loved her and wanted her to be happy.

"Rach, I want to set a date, but I need to look at a couple things first."

Rachel stared at him, her eyes stinging. They've had this exact conversation before -- I need to look at something first -- and nothing had ever happened. She was suddenly tired. "I'm listening." 

"First, I need to look at plans for work. I need to see what's coming up and when I can feasibly take time off. Second, we need to look at the cost of a wedding these days. I need to know we have enough money to do this."

"Patrick!" she snapped. "Can't you put me first before work for once? I'm always playing second fiddle to your job. I'm sure you get time off to get married."

"Rach, that job has put a lot of money in the bank. I promise you we will figure this out. You've been patient with me. I just need a little more time." 

Rachel had already given him ten plus years. How much more time did he need? She knew Patrick loved her but didn't understand why he was putting up such a fight. His reasons didn't seem valid in her mind. "Why do I have to ask you to put our life first?"

Patrick placed his hands on her shoulders and replied, "I haven't told you about this, but we're going through a system migration at work, and moving all of our client data to a new computer system is quite an undertaking. I'm sorry that I haven't appreciated you enough lately."

"I don't understand how that impacts our ability to set a date. It really sounds like more of an excuse, Patrick." Rachel pushed Patrick's hands away and got up and headed over to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. She needed to put some space between them. "I'll be right back."

Maybe her friends were right. Maybe there was someone better suited for her elsewhere. As much as she loved Patrick, sometimes love wasn't enough. She came out of the bathroom a few minutes later and grabbed her stuff. She made her way over to Patrick, kissed his cheek, and said, "I really wish I knew what is truly going through that head of yours. I'm going to head home. I have a headache and just want to go lay down."

"Rach, go climb into my bed and go to sleep if you want." Patrick followed her, but Rachel put her hand in front of him to keep him from coming any closer. 

"Patrick, I think you have some thinking to do." Rachel placed a chaste kiss on his lips and left. 

Patrick realized so much was left unsaid at that moment, and everything seemed to happen so abruptly. He really had to start prioritizing this wedding, or he was going to lose Rachel, the most important person in his life at this time. He headed into the bathroom and, to his surprise, found a piece of gold on his sink just sitting there. It was Rachel's engagement ring. Patrick didn't think anything of it. He figured she took it off when she washed her hands as Rachel typically did and forgot to put it back on, except she never left anywhere without her engagement ring. That sparkly accessory that sat on the ring finger of her left hand was her most prized possession. Patrick started to wonder if she left it behind on purpose as if she was trying to send Patrick a message. 

Patrick sent Rachel a text:

**Patrick:** Rach, you left your ring behind.

Hours had gone by with no reply. Patrick was starting to worry something was wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on tumblr under "vanillahigh00." I don't post much as I am navigating the tumblr world, but feel free to talk to me on there! 
> 
> You can also find me on IG under "vanilla_high_00."
> 
> Kudos and feedback keep me going!
> 
> Each chapter's title will be based on a song. I will be storing a playlist for this fic on Spotify. This chapter's title is based on the song, "Just Give Me a Reason" by Pink and Nate Ruess.
> 
> The playlist can be found [here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0l0LLTswXGeOLJ8jpwrDZ6?si=D-TjIwP7SV-jX6gg2bkx2g)! I hope you enjoy it!


	4. Breakaway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel and Patrick talk, Rachel makes a decision...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A special thank you to my amazing betas on this chapter [ jka724](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jka724/pseuds/jka724) and [ julywonder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/julywonder/pseuds/julywonder). They both gave me some amazing feedback on this chapter. Thank you so so much! <3

Rachel walked out of Patrick's apartment, completely heartbroken. Leaving that ring behind on the bathroom counter was the hardest thing she has ever had to do. She didn't want to walk away from Patrick for good, but she didn't want to waste her time either. Rachel needed to know whether Patrick was going to commit, once and for all. She was done making excuses for him to everyone else. The ball really was in Patrick's court now. 

As she got into her car, she forced herself to take a few deep breaths to calm her rapidly beating heart. She turned on the radio in an attempt to lose herself in song, but instead, tears started flowing.

Rachel would never forget this song. Rachel and Patrick had connected their junior year in high school. They had hung out in group settings, sat together at lunch in the school cafeteria, but had not spent time alone outside of their circle of friends. Rachel was a cheerleader, and Patrick was a hockey and baseball player. After one football game, Rachel had found herself without a ride home, and Patrick offered to drive her. Rachel had been crushing on Patrick and gladly accepted the ride. When they arrived at her house, she was about to get out of the car, but hesitated. She looked at Patrick, and he leaned in close and kissed her. The only sound around them was Leeann Rhimes' 'Can't Fight The Moonlight.' 

Rachel's been smitten ever since. Hearing that song tonight of all nights was like a punch to her gut, a knife in her heart. It hurt. Deeply.

She walked into her house, and no one was home. Her parents had gone out for the evening, and she had the place to herself. She decided it was best to get some rest and deal with the fallout in the morning. 

+++

Rachel slowly opened her eyes as she felt the sunlight hit her face. She didn't have to race to get out of bed as it was summertime, and Rachel was an elementary school teacher. She rolled over and grabbed her phone off her nightstand and realized she missed several texts from Patrick.

The first text was sent last night, timestamped minutes after she left. Patrick must have found her ring right away. 

**Patrick:** Rach, you left your ring behind.

The next set of texts popped up this morning, probably while Patrick was perhaps getting ready for work. 

**Patrick:** Good Morning Rach! I hope you're feeling better.  
**Patrick:**I don't like how we left things last night. Let's talk soon.  
**Patrick:**I need to drop off your ring!  
**Patrick:**I love you.

**Rachel:** Hello Patrick! I'm not sure I should be wearing your ring. 

Within seconds Rachel's phone rang.

"Hello."

"Rach, what's going on?" Patrick sounded concerned.

"Patrick, you always say we need more time, but then nothing happens. I don't want to wait anymore." 

"I understand why you're upset. Let me look at the timeline at work so I can pick the best opportunity for time off." Patrick sounded frantic. He paused for a moment and continued. "I started doing some research on costs, and I know we can do this. Don't give up on us."

Rachel really didn't know what to say. She wanted to believe him. 

"Patrick, why has it taken you this long to look at wedding costs? I've hinted for months that we need to do this, but I didn't want to push too hard." Rachel could feel her body starting to tense. Patrick only seemed to do things when prompted by Rachel.

"You're right. We should have done this sooner, but we can do it now."

"Show me you want this….you know there's no one else in this world I want to grow old with."

Patrick sighed.

"We'll work this out. You're going to put the ring back on your finger. I gotta get to work. We'll talk soon. I love you."

They hung up, and Rachel felt more confused than ever. She wanted Patrick to focus on their relationship, and maybe space was the way to accomplish that. 

Rachel started googling teaching positions for the fall. She was guaranteed a job in town, but she thought now might be a good time for a change. In all reality, it probably wasn't, with her relationship hanging by a thread, but maybe a fresh start was what she needed, especially if she and Patrick were about to break up for good. 

There wasn't much out there, but there was a first grade opening in this town called Schitt's Creek. She couldn't help but laugh at the name, wondering what kind of place it was. She called the contact listed on the position and asked if it was still available, which it was. Rachel quickly applied. If she was able to land an interview, she'd have the time and loved a good road trip even if by herself. If she got the position, she could always turn it down. A lot could happen in a few days.

++++

A few days later, Rachel packed up her car and got ready for a short voyage to Schitt's Creek. Rachel and Patrick had exchanged a couple of brief texts, just to say hello. There was no mention of wedding dates or spending time together, but still, Rachel missed him and wished she could be with him. Even if they were to just spend a night snuggled on the couch, she'd love the feeling of his arms wrapped around her. 

Rachel's mom was helping her load up. As she put a suitcase in the car, she turned to Rachel and asked, "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"Mom, I don't really know anymore. I'm hoping this time away will help me figure that out." A couple of tears formed in Rachel's eyes.

"Oh honey, I just hate to see you go all this way just for things to turn around." Rachel's mom pulled her into a hug. 

"I haven't been offered the job. Right now, think of this as just a little road trip. A chance for me to get away." Rachel pulled away from her mom and headed toward her car. As she was about to get in her car she looked back at her mom and smiled. "I'll text you when I get there. What could go wrong in a town called Schitt's Creek?"

++++

Rachel pulled into the Schitt's Creek Motel a few hours later. She had booked a room for the night as her interview was the first thing tomorrow morning. Rachel figured she'd get a good night's rest and head home tomorrow after the meeting. As Rachel entered the lobby, she was greeted by a brisk, young brunette woman. 

"Welcome to the Rosebudd Motel. Checking in?"

Rachel smiled. "Yes, Rachel Johnson. Staying for one night."

The woman at the counter accepted Rachel's credit card and handed her a key. 

"My name's Stevie. I hope you enjoy your stay in our lovely town." 

Rachel sensed some slight sarcasm in her tone but tried to ignore it, thinking that maybe she'd had a bad day. 

"Any local restaurants?" Rachel was pretty hungry and figured she'd grab a bite to eat before she turned in for the night. 

"If you don't mind a ridiculously long menu featuring diner style foods, check out Cafe Tropical down the street." Stevie casually replied.

Rachel thanked her with a smile. She got back into her car and realized she missed a few texts from Patrick.

**Patrick:** Rach, where are you?  
**Patrick:**I stopped by your parent's house, and they said you were on a road trip and you'd be back tomorrow?  
**Patrick:**Are you ok?

A part of her felt guilty that she didn't tell Patrick she was going away. He probably would have tried to talk her out of going. She felt good that she took this step on her own. She could always call Patrick now and tell him about the interview tomorrow, but it really seemed pointless unless she actually got the job. Based on the fact that he didn't mention anything about the meeting or Schitt's Creek, it sounded like her parents had honored her wishes to not give Patrick details. 

She shot her mom a quick text to let her know she was okay. She'd deal with Patrick later.

**Rachel:** Mom, I’m in Schitt’s Creek. I just checked into my hotel and headed to grab some dinner.  
**Mom:** I’m so glad to hear you’re ok. 

Rachel saw that the conversation bubbles had reappeared, but she was more interested in eating, so she headed down the street, and just as Stevie had described, there was Cafe Tropical.

She headed in to be greeted by a friendly, young, brunette woman. 

"Welcome to Cafe Tropical! Find a seat, and I'll be right over."

"Thank you!" Rachel smiled and grabbed a seat.

A few moments later, that same brunette made her way over to Rachel's seat as Rachel had situated herself on a barstool at the counter. 

"Hello, I'm Twyla. Are you new to town?" Twyla wore one of those infectious smiles. Rachel wondered if she always beamed like this or if it was for show. Some people can hide very easily behind their smiles. Rachel was familiar with that.

"I'm Rachel. I'm actually just passing through for a job interview, so who knows?" 

Twyla welcomed Rachel to the town and took her drink order. Rachel looked over the menu for a few minutes before settling a burger and french fries. While she waited for her dinner, she grabbed her phone to see if her mom texted her again.

**Mom**: Patrick stopped by today. We didn't tell him anything, but I'm sure he's going to contact you.  
**Mom**: He looked sad Rachel.  
**Mom**: Please talk to him.  
**Rachel**: Thanks Mom! 

Well, that definitely explained Patrick's texts. 

**Rachel**: Hi Patrick, I just needed some time away.  
**Rachel**: I’ll be home tomorrow.  
**Rachel**: Maybe we can get together for dinner?

Within seconds bubbles appeared on her phone. Patrick must have been watching his phone for her reply.

**Patrick**: Yes, I'd like to take you out tomorrow on a date.

Rachel's face lit up. It had been a few weeks since they had gone out, and typically Rachel planned their evenings out. The fact that Patrick was suggesting a date night was really a big deal. 

**Rachel:** I’d like that! What time tomorrow?  
**Patrick:** I’ll pick you up at 6. Will you be home by then?  
**Rachel:** Definitely. I look forward to it. <3  
**Patrick:** Can you stay with me tomorrow?

Wow! They never did overnights during the week because Patrick went to bed early so he could hit the gym and then head into work. Even though it was probably going to be a short evening, she wanted to spend that time with Patrick. It could still be her last night with him, and this would help her put closure on their relationship if that was even possible. Something about this little town seemed interesting. Rachel just couldn't put her finger on it.

**Rachel:** Of course. :)  
**Patrick:** I'm going to take you to one of the more exquisite restaurants in town.  
**Patrick:** I miss you, Rach.  
**Patrick:** I love you!  
**Patrick:** Drive safe tomorrow :)  
**Rachel:** I love you too. Good night, Paddy

Just as Rachel had finished texting Patrick, Twyla dropped off her dinner. 

"I don't mean to pry, as my aunt says I often do, but you seem so happy all of a sudden. Did you get good news?"

Rachel looked up at Twyla with a wide smile. "My fiance just asked me out on a date tomorrow night… things have been a bit rocky with us, so I'm just thrilled he's taking the initiative, you know?"

Twyla furrowed her brow. "Oh, I'm sorry - but that's great!"

"I'll be right back, Rachel. I see one of my regulars waving me over. I forgot to get his water."

Rachel continued to eat as she watched Twyla head over to a dark-haired man's table. He was an attractive man, probably a few years older than Rachel. He was sitting with a girl who looked about Rachel's age and an older couple. She guessed maybe that was his family. They seemed like a very animated bunch, almost out of place for such a small town.

Twyla came back a few moments later and started wiping down the counter.

"Okay, so tell me about this fiance of yours." Twyla smiled.

Rachel explained to Twyla how they met when they were in high school. They had broken up and got back together several times, which is why they weren't already married. They talked about everything Rachel and Patrick did together including their road trips to different sporting events and hikes. Twyla couldn't understand why they didn't already live together, and seeing her surprise brought up old feelings Rachel had carefully buried down deep. Twyla was right. They should be living together by now. 

Rachel planned to bring up this topic of conversation with Patrick tomorrow night... if they didn't have to discuss a job offer. She was rather curious as to where Patrick stood, and if he was ready for a full-time roommate.

"Rachel, that's a long time to wait to get married. My cousin's fiance proposed to her, and they were married in a few weeks."

Well, that certainly didn't make Rachel feel any better. Patrick was a planner, and Rachel loved that about him. She knew that no matter what life threw at them, he would have a spreadsheet detailing all possible outcomes and how they would overcome any potential obstacles. 

"We've had some trouble lately. I'm not sure he's ready to get married."

Twyla's eyebrows slanted upward, and her eyes turned glossy as the corners of her mouth slightly turned down. "Do you love him?"

"I do, but I just wonder if that's enough." Rachel grabbed a sip of her water and looked up at Twyla blankly.

Twyla was curious about what brought her to Schitt's Creek, and Rachel showed Twyla the ad in the paper for a first-grade teacher. 

"Oh, are you and your fiance moving here?" Twyla flashed a quick grin.

Rachel explained that she wanted to apply for the job and go from there. She was having doubts as to whether or not she should stay with Patrick. She hoped this visit to Schitt's Creek would give her some clarity or some idea of what she should do.

Twyla suggested she get some sleep so she was ready for her interview. She told Rachel to pop into the cafe in the morning for breakfast so she could wish her luck. Before she left, Twyla gave Rachel a hug and reassured her that what was meant to be would happen. 

Meeting Twyla was a pleasant surprise. It was welcoming to be able to speak freely about her relationship without someone ready to tear it down.

As Rachel pulled back into the motel, it was starting to get dark and figured it would be wise to go to bed early. As she was about to enter her room, she jumped.

"I saw you at the cafe. You're clearly new around here."

Rachel turned around and saw the dramatic dark-haired man from the cafe.

"I'm just passing through town for the night. I'm Rachel." She smiled. "I'm sorry I jumped. I didn't see anyone."

"I'm David." His mouth slightly upturned. "My family lives here at the motel right now."

Rachel shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, David. Do you like it here?"

"I just love that there's no Barney's for hundreds, maybe thousands of miles, one restaurant in town, one general store that places fungal cream next to breakfast cereal."

Rachel sensed his sarcasm. He was clearly accustomed to the finer things in life.

"I live in a small town too, although not this small. It sounds like you're more familiar with big city life." Rachel smiled.

"Yes, that would be correct."

"At least it's quiet and peaceful."

" If that's something you want."

Rachel sat down in one of the chairs outside her motel room, and David sat down next to her. She could feel a couple droplets race down her face, and she quickly attempted to wipe them away, but David noticed.

"Umm…..are you okay?" David asked as it sounded like he was trying to be sincere, but not really sure how to handle the situation.

"I really don't know. I came here to escape my life and possibly change it."

"Okay, visiting here is one thing, but staying here?" 

Rachel explained that she was debating on a fresh start. David tried to encourage her to do what made her happy, but she could tell he wasn't a fan of this place. 

"Thanks for listening, David. I don't mean to be rude, but I have a job interview tomorrow, and I need to get some rest."

"Yes, goodnight, Rachel." 

"Good night David, nice meeting you." 

David got up, flashed a quick wave, and walked off.

Rachel walked into her room and watched David walk away. He seemed interesting. He was definitely attractive. Tall, dark, and handsome, to say the least. Rachel didn't pay a lot of attention to other guys since she had Patrick, but she definitely noticed an attractive man when she saw one. David was indeed all that and what she conceived to be as more. 

Rachel got herself ready for bed as her phone went off.

**Patrick**: Sweet Dreams, Rach. I love you.

She put her phone down and climbed into bed, hoping that tomorrow would provide her with the answers she needed.

+++++

Rachel woke up the next morning and got herself ready reasonably quickly. She settled on a somewhat fitting one-piece tan dress with matching heels and made her way over to the cafe feeling very overdressed. Twyla noticed her immediately and gestured her over to the counter. 

Rachel sat down and wished Twyla a good morning.

Twyla grinned, "You look so pretty this morning. What can I get you for breakfast?"

Rachel smiled, "Thank you, Twyla, how about just a coffee and a muffin?"

Twyla scampered off to grab Rachel's order and came back moments later.

"Here you go, my friend. How did you sleep?" 

Rachel pondered for a moment of realization. She had actually slept quite well and felt refreshed going into her interview today.

"Good. Very good. Oh, you know who I ran into last night at the motel?"

"Who?" Twyla put her elbows down on the counter and placed her chin on top of her hands. 

"David. That guy from dinner last night. He's a character."

Twyla laughed. "His whole family is interesting. I talk to his sister Alexis from time to time."

"Are they really from around here?"

Twyla quickly shook her head no. "They came from New York City after they lost their fortune."

Rachel's eyes popped wide open. "Oh, wow. I can't imagine, but that explains so much. They really look out of place in a town like this."

Twyla chuckled. "They own the town, so they're trying to fit in."

Rachel mentioned that she thought it was interesting, but something she could learn about later. It was getting late, and she needed to be on her way. 

"Twyla, I honestly don't know what I'm going to do if they offer me the job."

"Well, don't make a decision right away. You're going to see Patrick tonight, right?"

Rachel nodded.

Twyla continued. "Talk to him before you decide anything. If you decide to move out here and need a place to stay, my door is open. I'd love the company."

Rachel smiled. "Thanks, Twyla. I need to get going, but I'm going to pop in for lunch before I head home."

Rachel grabbed her coffee to go and headed back to her car.

++++++++++++++

Rachel arrived at the interview on time. The school principal and one of the other teachers in the district, Joycelyn Schitt, handled the interview. It went without a hitch, and Rachel was immediately offered a position as the first-grade teacher at Schitt's Creek Elementary. She was elated and asked for a couple of days to confirm so she could discuss it with Patrick. 

Rachel was going to tell Patrick tonight.

*******

Rachel popped back into the cafe after the interview. She had really grown quite fond of the cafe and Twyla. Twyla had a warmth about her that her friends back home didn't. Rachel was really starting to see a place for her in Schitt's Creek, so tonight's conversation with Patrick was going to be interesting, to say the least.

Rachel sat back down at the counter excited to tell Twyla about the interview when she saw Twyla talking to another dark-haired man. She saw Twyla look over at Rachel and wave. She proceeded to kiss the dark-haired man and made her way over to Rachel. 

Rachel gushed, "Who is that hottie that you haven't told me about?"

Twyla smiled, "That's my boyfriend, Mutt."

"Tell me about him...you must be sick of hearing about Patrick."

Twyla reassured Rachel that she enjoyed hearing about Patrick. It was nice just to socialize with ladies her own age. 

"Mutt and I are kind of in a rut right now. I'm not sure if he's happy."

"Probably a silly question, but have you talked to him?"

"It's not silly at all. If anything, I think our conversations have made me realize that I need to talk to Mutt."

Rachel could definitely relate. She tried to console Twyla.

"The best advice I can give is to listen to your heart. If Mutt is the guy for you, don't let him go. I really should listen to my own advice as I sit here potentially ready to let go of the love of my life."

"Do you have a picture of him?"

Rachel grinned. "I do." Rachel popped out her phone. As they scrolled through pictures, Twyla was commenting on how cute he was as David walked by. 

"Wow, Rachel, you look great."

Rachel was flattered. "Thank you, David."

Twyla smiled at David. "Rachel was just showing us her adorable fiance, Patrick."

David peeked over and grabbed the phone, studying the photo. Rachel watched David. He looked like he was in shock. She snapped David out of it as she took her phone back. 

He looked down at his watch. "Oh my, look at the time. I must be going." And before they could say goodbye, he was gone.

Rachel looked at Twyla and furrowed her brow, "What was that all about? He was totally fixated on this picture of Patrick." It really was just a simple picture of Patrick holding up a beer.

Twyla shook her head, "I honestly don't know. That was strange."

David never came back, but Rachel shrugged off his reaction. She knew Patrick was hot and figured David agreed, but was embarrassed to admit it.

They talked for a while as Rachel ate her lunch. As she finished, she said goodbye to Twyla, promising to speak to her after she spoke to Patrick. 

"Good luck tonight. You'll make the right decision. I know you will."

Rachel gave her a big hug. "Thank you so much for your kindness, Twyla. I'd like to keep in touch even if I don't end up back in Schitt's Creek." Rachel smiled.

"Something tells me that you'll be back." Twyla grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on tumblr under "vanillahigh00." I don't post much as I am navigating the tumblr world, but feel free to talk to me on there! 
> 
> You can also find me on IG under "vanilla_high_00."
> 
> Kudos and feedback keep me going!
> 
> Each chapter's title will be based on a song. I will be storing a playlist for this fic on Spotify. This chapter's title is based on the song, "Breakaway" By Kelly Clarkson.
> 
> The playlist can be found [here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0l0LLTswXGeOLJ8jpwrDZ6?si=D-TjIwP7SV-jX6gg2bkx2g)! I hope you enjoy it!


	5. I Will Make It Up To You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel heads back home and date night ensues......

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to [ julywonder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/julywonder/pseuds/julywonder) and [ jka724](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jka724/pseuds/jka724) for your support!

Rachel explored her closet to find the perfect dress, trying on multiple options. She debated if she went tight and skimpy or long and flowy. She settled on a yellow dress that fell somewhere in between. Rachel put on her make-up and decided to let her long, auburn hair flow down past her shoulders.

Rachel looked outside and saw that Patrick had just pulled in. She said goodbye to her mom and climbed into Patrick's car, where he greeted her with a sweet, soft kiss. 

Patrick gently pulled away from the kiss and beamed. "You look beautiful. I missed you." He hadn't seen her days. Tonight was going to be a good night. They were going to figure things out.

The expression on Patrick's face as she got into the car melted her into a puddle. He really had missed her, and that was going to make their discussion tonight that much more difficult. 

They arrived at Pasquale's, an upscale Italian bistro in town. Patrick opened Rachel's door and grabbed her hand. Rachel followed him as they strolled into the restaurant hand in hand. 

Patrick had seemed distant this evening, and Rachel couldn't figure out why. Something was clearly on his mind. 

"Patrick, you seem distracted. What's going on?" Rachel looked up at Patrick with eyes wide.

Patrick took a deep breath as he responded. He had been so excited to see Rachel all day, but so nervous. He couldn't understand why she went away and, more importantly, why she didn't tell him. "Rach, where did you go? Are you leaving me?" Patrick braced himself, awaiting Rachel's response.

Rachel paused for a second. Patrick genuinely seemed scared of losing her. She could see it written all over his face. It almost looked like he was about to cry, but she needed to tell him this. 

"Patrick, I went for a job interview in a small town about three hours away. They offered me the job, and I want to take it."

Patrick was ready to listen. "Where is this place?" 

She told him about Schitt's Creek, the town itself, and the people she met. Patrick wasn't giving anything away. Rachel could typically read him, but his gazes were like a blank sheet of paper. 

Finally, Patrick broke the silence and grabbed Rachel's hand across the table. "If this position is something you really want, I want you to take it." Patrick smiled, "Rach, I'm not giving up on us now. You seem to think I already have." Patrick reached back into his pocket and pulled Rachel's engagement ring out of his pocket and slipped back on her finger.

She looked back at her finger and smiled, but she was skeptical. This seemed too easy, and it probably was.

"Patrick, you're telling me that you want to uproot your life because I want a fresh start?"

Patrick was pretty much willing to do whatever he had to do to make this work. Rachel was right when she said that he placed his job ahead of her. If she wanted a change, so did he. It was going to take some planning and wouldn't happen overnight, but they would make this work.

Patrick asked about the wedding as he knew that setting a date was a top priority. Rachel had reassured him that she knew that a move would delay things, but if they were in this together, it would be worth it. Moving to Schitt's Creek was going to be like a climb atop Mount Whitney, one of their most challenging hikes to date.

"Rach, I want to make you happy, and clearly, I've failed, but I'm going to make this up to you."

"Patrick, I fell in love with you very easily. You're my best friend...I'm just so tired of everything with us feeling so hard."

"That's going to change. I want you to believe that."

They paid the bill and headed back to Patrick's place. 

++++++++

They got cozy on Patrick's couch. Patrick then leaned over and kissed Rachel with a deep, longing kiss, which took Rachel by surprise. 

Patrick found Rachel's tongue and lightly caressed it with his own. He then moved back to Rachel's mouth, alternating between sucking and tugging at her upper and lower lip.

Patrick moved his mouth away from Rachel's as she tried to catch her breath, "Wow, Patrick. You haven't kissed me like that in a long time."

As the night went on, they found themselves in Patrick's bed, exploring each other in a way that they had struggled to do so many times before. They both reached their release and fell asleep naked in each other's arms.

++++++

Patrick was up the next morning a little later than usual. He was skipping the gym this morning to enjoy a little extra time with Rachel before heading to work. He turned over and watched her sleep. She looked so peaceful. As he laid there, he recalled their conversation from the previous evening. He was thinking about where they would live. It would make sense to get a place together at this point. Maybe his firm would keep him on as a remote employee which would be one less thing to figure out other than breaking his lease. He thought about how happy Rachel seemed last night. Patrick knew that it all meant so much more to Rachel than himself, but he still enjoyed their time. He thought about her soft skin, how Rachel's hair whipped when she rolled around his bed, and her soft lips. It sounded perfect. He just wished he got turned on like they talked about in the movies or on television. It took a significant amount of time to work himself up last night, and although he enjoyed last night more than he had in a long time, he just wished his body's reaction was more automatic. Maybe that wasn't possible.

Rachel rolled over and opened her eyes, gently looking up at Patrick fondly. "Morning, Babe."

Patrick reached over and kissed her cheek. He asked her how she slept. 

Rachel smiled, acknowledging that she hadn't slept this peacefully at Patrick's in a long time. Patrick had been busier at work most recently, and although Rachel spent her weekends at Patrick's, he'd stay up late working while she went to bed. It bothered her, but she tried to let it go knowing that Patrick was a very hard worker, and in the end, it would only benefit both of them if they were going to get married.

Rachel leaned over and kissed Patrick. She knew she couldn't stay in bed long, so she offered to make him breakfast so he could get ready for work. They both loved spending time in the kitchen. On some occasions, they'd have cook-offs to see who could produce the best dish as if it were an episode of Top Chef or Master Chef. They loved cooking show competitions. 

While Rachel was feeling on cloud nine for the moment, she decided to whip up something extra special for Patrick for breakfast. She prepared a batch of strawberry pancakes and framed them in the shape of hearts. Patrick kept a steady supply of cookie cutters in his kitchen as they loved to bake cookies together. She also scrambled up eggs to balance out the carbs. 

Patrick walked into the kitchen, ready to go to work, and sat down to a plate of hearts, eggs, and his favorite cup of tea. Rachel was already sitting down, sipping a cup of coffee. Rachel was perfect, and he knew that. Any guy would be lucky to have her by their side. 

"Rach, this is beautiful. I should have you stay with me more often. I could get used to this."

"Last night was amazing." Rachel grinned. 

"I want more nights like last night." Patrick grabbed Rachel's hand and kissed her knuckles. He continued. "I mean it. We're going to figure this out."

Rachel grabbed her cup of coffee and took a sip with her free hand. "I'm going to call the school today and tell them that I'm planning on taking the position. I'll know more from there. I don't know when the town starts school, but we're in early August, so I'll probably need to leave soon."

"Let me know how your call goes after you talk to the school. Know what else? You don't have to go home if you don't want to. You can stay here with me for as long as you like."

Patrick got up from the table and started to clear his plate, but Rachel had motioned to leave things there and that she would get everything cleaned up. Patrick walked over, placing a chaste kiss on her lips. "I love you, Rach, we're going to get through this."

"I want to believe that, Patrick."

+++++++++++++++++++++

Rachel had reached out to Schitt's Creek Elementary and was able to confirm that school would start on August 25th and that she would need to report two weeks early to get her room set up and to meet the team and district etc. which basically meant she only had a couple days at home.

Rachel attempted to call Patrick and let him know, but his phone went right to voicemail, so she shot him a text.

**Rachel: **Hope you’re having a good day.

**Rachel: ** I have some bad news.

**Rachel: ** I need to be in Schitt's Creek by Thursday, which means I need to leave by tomorrow.

Rachel needed to share the news with Twyla.

**Rachel: ** Twyla, guess who's coming back to town tomorrow?

Twyla responded instantly.

**Twyla:** Congratulations Rachel! :) Is Patrick coming with you?

**Rachel: ** He says he's coming with me, but I just found out this morning that I need to leave tomorrow.

**Rachel: ** I can’t expect him to do this. It's a lot. I guess time will tell.

**Twyla:** Give him some time to figure this out. He may surprise you.

**Rachel: ** Thanks Twy! I hope so.

**Rachel: ** I’m excited to see you tomorrow :)

**Twyla:** Me too! Come by the cafe when you get into town. 

Rachel had spent most of the rest of the day packing and getting ready. She hadn't heard back from Patrick yet, which either indicated he was upset or just caught up in work. Rachel tried to remain positive that it was the latter. Rachel didn't want to pack too heavy, not knowing how much space she would have at Twyla's. Even though it was a three-hour ride, it wasn't far enough that she couldn't come home on the weekends. 

+++++++++

"Patrick, did you get your plane ticket?" Patrick's boss Cheryl asked him as he checked his email. He confirmed he received the ticket electronically. Patrick couldn't believe he had to fly out to New York at the last minute. He hadn't even had a chance to tell Rachel, and after everything they talked about, this was horrible timing. Patrick grabbed his laptop and his paperwork and headed out of the office. As he got into his car, he grabbed his phone out of his laptop bag and realized he missed a call from Rachel and a few texts.

**Rachel: **Hope you’re having a good day.

**Rachel: ** I have some bad news.

**Rachel: ** I need to be in Schitt's Creek by Thursday, which means I need to leave tomorrow.

_Shit!_ By the time Patrick came back from New York, Rachel would already be in Schitt's Creek, which eliminated the possibility of saying goodbye. It didn't seem unreasonable that he could take a road trip out there to see what this place was like, maybe get a feel for job prospects, apartments, or houses. He had to at least call her. Patrick couldn't tell her about this trip over text. He braced himself as the phone rang and rang until finally, voicemail picked up. Patrick left a message explaining that Cheryl had sent Patrick on a last-minute trip to New York to deal with a client, and he couldn't get out of it. Patrick explained he hadn't talked Cheryl about relocating yet, but that he would deal with this first thing when he came back. He reminded Rachel that he wanted to be with her, and this wouldn't be a long-distance relationship. 

+++++++++++++++++

Rachel was getting onto her bed as she grabbed her phone; she pulled up Patrick's voicemail. She wanted to be mad, but it wouldn't change anything. It sounded like a short trip.   
Maybe Patrick could come out and surprise her when he came back. Rachel could introduce him to all the interesting people in town. Maybe Patrick would get along with David. He seemed nice enough, and he was another guy. David and Patrick didn't appear to share common interests other than they were close in age. She certainly couldn't wait to introduce Patrick to Twyla. 

Rachel decided to shoot a quick text knowing Patrick was busy.

**Rachel:** I got your message. 

**Rachel:** Be safe, and hopefully, I'll see you soon.

**Rachel:** I love you.

++++++++++++++++++++++

Rachel woke up the next morning and loaded up her car. 

About three hours later, she parked herself right in front of the cafe.

As she walked into the cafe, she was greeted by a familiar face who casually asked, "You're back! Where's your adorable fiance?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on tumblr under "vanillahigh00." I don't post much as I am navigating the tumblr world, but feel free to talk to me on there! 
> 
> You can also find me on IG under "vanilla_high_00."
> 
> Kudos and feedback keep me going!
> 
> Each chapter's title will be based on a song. I will be storing a playlist for this fic on Spotify. Chapter 5's title is based on the song, "Hard For Me To Say I'm Sorry" By Chicago.
> 
> The playlist can be found [here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0l0LLTswXGeOLJ8jpwrDZ6?si=D-TjIwP7SV-jX6gg2bkx2g)! I hope you enjoy it!


	6. Life Is A Highway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel settles into Schitt's Creek

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is unbetaed so all mistakes are my own! 
> 
> This will be my last chapter for a little bit on this because I've taken a prompt on the Reel Schitt's Creek Prompt Fest!!! Once that fic is done, I'll be back, I promise!! I'm very excited to get back to this story!

_Adorable Fiance?_ Rachel was taken aback by his comment, but he wasn't wrong. Maybe he liked guys. Rachel had never talked to David about any significant others in his life, but it's not like they had spent _that_ much time together. 

"Hello, David!" Rachel smiled and gave him a hug. As she pulled away, she continued, "Patrick's away on business. He'll join me as soon as he's able." Rachel certainly hoped so. That certainly wasn't a conversation she was going to have with David Rose. 

David grinned almost too eagerly as Rachel explained that Patrick would be coming into town. He attempted to relax his facial muscles in order to tone down his excitement before he let her know that he was looking forward to meeting Patrick. 

They exchanged goodbyes, and David left with his takeout order for him and Stevie.

As David left, Twyla signaled Rachel to the counter. Twyla came from around the counter and pulled Rachel into a quick hug. They caught up on what each other's been up to. Twyla was excited to share that she and Mutt were in a better place since they started talking, which was all thanks to Rachel's advice.

"Oh, Twyla. That's wonderful news." Rachel was so happy for Twyla, but she felt a twinge of jealousy. She was always the one offering up advice to her friends when they dealt with roller-coaster moments in their relationships which always resulted in some kind of reconciliation, but couldn't repair her own. Patrick hadn't tried to reach back out since Rachel's text yesterday. She tried not to dwell on it too much, assuming that he was busy with work, but this whole situation hurt. A lot.

Rachel had drifted off into her own little world, and she snapped out of it finding Twyla's hands waving in front of her face.

"Earth to Rachel." Rachel apologized. 

"I'm sorry, Twy. I haven't heard from Patrick since yesterday morning, and I'm...well….not sure what to do with that." 

Rachel went onto explain that Patrick had been pulled away on business unexpectedly.

"I bet he's missing you as much as you're missing him." Twyla seemed to always know what to say in the short time they've been friends. 

Twyla grabbed Rachel some lunch. Her shift was almost over, and they had planned to head back to Twyla's apartment after lunch to get Rachel settled in.

++++++

"Geez, I could've eaten my arm; I was so hungry. What took so long?" Stevie questioned as David came barreling through the door.

"Did you forget about the lunch rush?" David returned a question as he furrowed his brows with a slight smirk.

"Um, look at your face."

“Look at _ your _ face.”

Stevie could tell something happened at the cafe. She asked him if he ran into anyone, or was it really just that busy today.

"Rachel's back in town." David slightly smiled a matter of factly.

"Ok, she's cute, but what's that expression on your face?" Stevie was fishing at this point. She didn't want David with anyone else, but she knew she wouldn't be able to hold onto him forever. Stevie didn't sense their relationship was one of those destined for the ages. That didn't stop her from wanting that kind of happy ending. Stevie had only met Rachel once. She seemed nice but found herself annoyed that David had brought her name up a few times now. Each time he had some strange grin or display of happiness on his face. It was an expression that he certainly didn't share with Stevie. 

David had walked behind the counter and wrapped his hands around Stevie's waist and pulled her into a soft, chaste kiss. As he pulled away, he told Stevie that she was the only girl he wanted.

"You appear to be interested. Tell me about Rachel." 

"She's new in town. She seems like a nice person. Wouldn't you like a girlfriend?" David walked back around the other side of the counter and started unbagging their lunch. David had grabbed a Tuna sandwich and a chef salad for Stevie.

"I guess I could get to know her. Maybe we could go out as a group?" Stevie starts to soften. David was right. It would be nice to have another girl to talk to. Rachel seemed more her speed over Alexis. Not that she didn't enjoy David's sister, but Alexis Rose was a bit much to handle at times. Then there was Twyla. Stevie and Twyla got along, but they really didn't share common interests. 

"Can we go for pizza?" David asked with a wide grin. 

"Um, didn't you just have pizza for breakfast and dinner last night?" Stevie asked as she scrunched her forehead.

"You can never have enough pizza. Besides, we need to show Rachel the best places to eat. We can't have that poor girl thinking Cafe Tropical is the only option around here."

"David Rose, you're so generous." Stevie laughed and continued. "Um, what if I don't want pizza?"

"Get a calzone," David responded nonchalantly and took another bite of his sandwich.

"Ugh…...fine we'll have pizza for the 50th time this week." Although she couldn't help wonder why he was so interested in getting to know Rachel. Stevie believed him when he said he only wanted her, but something was up, and Stevie was determined to figure it out.

++++++

Twyla walked back into her living room and handed Rachel a glass of water. 

"We're going out for pizza tonight with the gang."

"That sounds like fun! Who's the gang?" Rachel asked. She needed a night out. Something to take her mind off of Patrick.

"You and I, of course, Mutt, David, Stevie, and Alexis." Twyla smiled.

Rachel saw the light in Twyla's eyes change as she mentioned Mutt's name. She was so happy for Twyla and so glad to see things were better between them, but that little pang of envy returned. As Rachel thought about Patrick, she contemplated life without him, and if she was going to put herself back on the market, she needed new clothes. She didn't think she had anything acceptable to wear out with a bunch of people she barely knew. Rachel asked Twyla to go shopping, and she agreed, but not before she picked up Alexis, who would be sure to guide them to some fashionable choices.

++++++

Patrick couldn't believe he had wasted his time going to New York. He attended the meeting required by both parties, but it was over in 30 minutes. The company had agreed to everything Patrick recommended. This really could've been accomplished over video conference. What's worse is that he hadn't talked to Rachel and now she's in Schitt's Creek. This trip to New York was the straw that broke the camel's back. He couldn't do this anymore. He couldn't be away from her when she needed him most. He realized, at that moment, that he needed this change just as much as Rachel. 

Before New York, he had prepared to move just for Rachel. Now he was doing this for both of them. They both needed this.

Patrick made his way back into the office and approached his boss, Cheryl. 

Cheryl patted him on the back and congratulated Patrick on a job well done. 

Patrick sighed. He mentioned that this could've been done via video and she advised that this client wanted one on one face time. They personally requested Patrick. Patrick was flattered, but the timing wasn't right. He really should have been here to say goodbye to Rachel.

Patrick sat down and crossed his arms over his chest. "Rachel just left town for a new teaching position, and I'm going to follow her."

Cheryl asked him if he was leaving the firm, and he confirmed that he needs to be with her now. He will stay with the company for a few weeks so they can find a replacement unless the company allows him to work remotely. Patrick confessed that he didn't have another job lined up yet. Cheryl and Patrick talked about his relationship often. Cheryl asked if a move was really the right decision for both of them, given their history of ups and downs. Patrick saw her hesitation but reassured her that they needed a fresh start. He knew that he could find another job, but he wasn't going to find another Rachel. Cheryl got up, walked over to Patrick, and gave him a hug.

"I'm going to miss you, but I admire you looking out for your relationship. I still think it's a bit sudden, but if you feel it's the right thing to do, go for it. Your instincts are typically correct. I want you to be happy, and if moving away with Rachel will make you happy, go be happy."

"Thank you so much," Patrick replied as he broke the hug.

Cheryl wanted to talk to human resources to see what they could arrange. Cheryl didn't want to lose Patrick completely. She told Patrick she would let him know if HR agreed to keep him on in any capacity.  
He thanked Cheryl for anything she could do and got up to walk out of Cheryl's office. Just as he was about to leave, Cheryl asked Patrick, "So where are you moving to?"

"Schitt's Creek." Patrick let out a brief chuckle as he left Cheryl's office.

He headed across the street to grab some take out for lunch and sat back down at his desk, looking at job prospects. He had to prepare himself for the possibility that the firm wouldn't be able to support him working outside of the office.

Patrick started googling job prospects in and around Schitt's Creek as well as apartment or housing options. He found a listing for a dishwasher at this place called Café Tropicale, assuming it was some kind of restaurant. There was also a service representative position at Bob's Garage. There didn't appear to be too much else until…wait…a financial planner with some guy named Ray Butani. Now, this sounded interesting. Patrick jotted down the phone number and dialed Ray's office.

A very peppy man answers, "This is Ray Butani, could I interest you in a closet organization today?

Patrick quietly chuckled softly and continued, "Hello Ray. My name is Patrick Brewer. I just came across your ad for a financial planner. Is this position still available?"

Ray cheerfully responded, "Yes, of course."

Patrick, surprised by his quick answer, asked another question, "What does this position entail?" The cheerful tone in Ray's voice didn't disappear with his response, "Filing financial paperwork and business forms, financial planning for individuals, helping with business plans. Do you have a business degree?"

Patrick was very intrigued by this position and responded, "Yes, Ray, I do have a bachelor's degree in business."

Ray sounded downright excited with his response to Patrick and asked," Perfect Patrick. Could you email me your resume and we can set up a phone interview?"

Patrick agreed, and they wrapped up the call. Patrick opened his laptop and zipped his resume off to Ray. Not even five minutes later he got a text from Ray:

Ray: Hello Patrick, It's Ray Butani. I received your resume and would love to do a phone interview with you. Are you available now?

Patrick: Hello, Ray, yes, I am available right now.

Patrick couldn't believe how quickly Ray got back to him. Patrick called Ray again, and they spoke about the position, Patrick's background and Ray offered Patrick the job on the spot. They got to talking about housing options, and Ray offered Patrick a place that was available for $275 a month. Patrick expressed concern with the quality of the apartment for only $275 a month. Ray assured him it's a great place, but someone had previously taken their life in that apartment. Ray offered to send Patrick pictures, and Patrick agreed to review and get back to him within 24 hours. 

Everything was falling into place. It's almost like Schitt's Creek was meant to be. Patrick arranged to take Friday off and had a plan in mind for a long weekend.

++++++++

The gang met up at Joe's Pizzaria in Elmdale. Stevie, David, and Alexis were already sitting down when Twyla, Rachel, and Mutt arrived. They exchanged greetings, and David complimented the ladies on their outfits.

"Duh David, of course, they look good. I picked out their outfits." Alexis snapped. 

"And no one thought to invite me to a fun afternoon of giggly girl talk and fashion advice? I'm so sorry I missed this." Stevie scoffed. 

"Stevie, I'm so sorry. It wasn't intentional. We'll grab you next time we go out. The more, the merrier." Twyla stated, feeling bad that she didn't at least ask Stevie. 

"Thank you, Twyla, but I'm good." Stevie smiled. 

The group had a nice evening. Twyla and Mutt were glued to each other. Alexis told Rachel all about her worldwide escapades, and Stevie just sat there quietly, pretending to be interested in everyone's conversation. Still, she really just wanted some alone time with David. David was practically hanging on Rachel's every word, hoping he'd get to hear more about Patrick. Rachel didn't say much about him at all, which David found rather strange. If they were engaged to be married, Rachel should've been gushing about Patrick all night, but she didn't. She barely said a few words about him. 

Ever since he saw Patrick's picture at the cafe a couple of weeks ago, David hadn't been able to get Patrick off his mind. It had been ten years though, and although David had remembered him, he doubted Patrick shared the same memories. The Patrick he met all those years ago was such a good person. David could use someone like that in his life, especially now. Especially in Schitt's Creek.

+++++++

Rachel had been sleeping well at Twyla's apartment. It felt safe and cozy. The apartment was adorned with country style furniture, but nothing too elaborate. 

Twyla had left early that morning for an early shift at the cafe. Rachel was heading to school today for a few meetings, and the rest of the day was hers. Her first day at Schitt's Creek elementary was yesterday, where she visited her room, reviewed district policies, and went over a lot of new hire type processes. 

Her plan was to meet Twyla for lunch at the cafe, and then they would head back to Twyla's apartment together. Schitt's Creek was so small that it was easy to walk from place to place, depending on how close to the center of town you lived.

As lunchtime approached, Rachel headed into the cafe. Twyla had her coffee and water ready. They caught up on the morning's events including Rachel's morning at school and the town gossip that always filters through the cafe in one way, shape, or form.

The bell attached to the door goes off, and Twyla shouts out, "Feel free to sit where you like, and I'll be right over." 

The man smiles and nods. 

Rachel looked back behind her, and there he was. Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped open.

"Patrick!!!"

"Hey, Rach!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on tumblr under "vanillahigh00." I don't post much as I am navigating the tumblr world, but feel free to talk to me on there! 
> 
> You can also find me on IG under "vanilla_high_00."
> 
> Kudos and feedback keep me going!
> 
> Each chapter's title will be based on a song. I will be storing a playlist for this fic on Spotify. Chapter 6's title is based on the song, "Life Is A Highway" By Tom Cochran.
> 
> The playlist can be found [here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0l0LLTswXGeOLJ8jpwrDZ6?si=D-TjIwP7SV-jX6gg2bkx2g)! I hope you enjoy it!


	7. It's All Been Done

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patrick arrives in Schitt's Creek!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally posted this chapter and felt it was missing something so I pulled it back. I apologize if you've already read this chapter, but I added dialogue. Hope you like the changes. 
> 
> Chapter update....we are at least looking at 20 chapters. The story is outlined, but sometimes my mind goes wild and well.....things change :).
> 
> A special thank you to my amazing beta on this chapter [ edie4711](https://archiveofourown.org/users/edie4711/pseuds/edie4711). She was my cheerleader and helped me see things I didn't realize I needed, but wanted. Thank you so so much! <3

It was as if she had seen a ghost. Patrick came, and Rachel's face lit up. She couldn't get off her stool fast enough as she ran straight into his arms! She grabbed him tightly just to make sure he was real.

Patrick broke the hug and took her hand, tilting his head toward the door. Rachel looked back over at Twyla, mouthing that she'd be right back. Twyla smiled in response. Patrick and Rachel walked across the street where there was a small little park and sat down on a nearby bench. 

Rachel grabbed his face and softly pulled it into hers. She savored this sweet moment. 

"Patrick, you're here." Rachel had broken the kiss and grabbed his hand in hers. 

"I told you I was coming, but I can't stay...not yet anyway." Patrick squeezed her hand. 

"How long are you staying?" Rachel's face fell a little bit, thinking this was too good to be true.

"I just put in my notice. I'm here for the weekend if you want me, but then just two more weeks and I'll be back. I'm coming back here to be with you." Patrick had tipped her chin up and placed a soft kiss on her lips after he explained his intentions.

"Are you sure you want to be here, with me? Are you sure you're ready to call Schiit's Creek home?"

"Rach, I already have a job, and I have an apartment. I'd like to show it to you if you want. I'm all in if you want me here." Patrick smiled.

"You did all that for me?"

"I did it for you, I did it for me, I did it for us, but you still haven't told me that you want me here."

Rachel opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She sat there silently for a moment until she was finally able to articulate her thoughts.

"God, Paddy, I want you here. I just need to be sure you really want to be with me. I want to be sure we're going to do this and that we're going to get married. You have to want it too." 

Tears started forming in her eyes. She gave up trying to hold back tears in front of Patrick. She was so used to crying in his presence, that it came as naturally as smiling.

Patrick pulled her into his arms. He kissed her cheek and started rocking her back and forth. He knew he was going to have to prove that he was here for her. 

"Rachel, I love you. I know I've let you down multiple times, but we're going to do this. You're my best friend. I need you in my life."

Patrick pulled away and looked directly into Rachel's eyes. He had swept a few strands of hair to the side to pull away from her face. 

"Rach, I want you to move in with me."

"Oh, Paddy. Really?" Rachel's eyes glistened from the tears that had fallen, but also due to an instant change in mood. Her cheeks blushed. She practically tackled Patrick jumping into his lap and pulling him into a sweet, soft kiss. "Can I see the place?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Patrick smiled. "I spoke to Ray, the realtor, on my way over here, and he's glad to show us the apartment this afternoon."

Patrick paused for a moment.

"Things are going to be better this time, Rach. We're going to get our happy ending."

Patrick pulled Rachel in for a sweet kiss, just enjoying the quietness of the park. 

After a few minutes, Rachel broke the kiss.

"Let's get you some lunch first. I can't wait for you to meet Twyla. She works here at the cafe. You'll love her." 

They headed back to the cafe. Rachel introduced Patrick and Twyla as they started engaging in casual conversation about the town. Rachel's face began to hurt from how much she'd been smiling, but she couldn't help it. Things were good right now. Really good. A part of her couldn't forget that this had all been done before. It's their usual pattern. Things were about to fall apart, and then they found their way back to each other. Somehow this time felt different. She just wasn't sure how.

"So Patrick, where are you staying?" Twyla asked casually as she poured drinks for other tables. 

"Rachel said there's a motel in town? I'm going to pop in there and see if I can get a room."

"That's silly. Stay at my place with Rachel. I'll crash with my boyfriend Mutt for the weekend." Twyla smiled.

"Thank you, Twyla. That's very generous."

"No problem at all. Glad to help you guys out." 

The pair finished up their lunch and thanked Twyla again for letting Patrick stay at the apartment. They headed back outside, and Patrick made a quick call to Ray to get his address and confirm that he was still available to show them the apartment. When he confirmed he was free, they headed toward his place. 

As Patrick turned the corner heading towards Ray's, he happened to look down the other side of the road and felt he had to take a double-take. 

_No, it can’t be…..that can’t be David Rose._

Patrick remembered reading something about how the Rose family had lost their fortune, but he would've never imagined they would've ended up in a town like this. It had also been ten years, so it was highly unlikely that was him. Everyone has a doppelganger, and David Rose's must live in Schitt's Creek. Nonetheless, he smiled for a moment as he thought back to his trip to New York all those years ago. 

Rachel looked up, noticing Patrick had a peculiar grin on his face.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Rachel asked casually. She was pretty sure she knew the answer, but she just wanted to hear him say it.

"Rach, I'm here with you. Nothing could make me happier right now." Patrick pulled her into his side and kissed the side of her head. Although pleasant memories of David Rose had just filled his head, a man he hadn't thought about in years, he was thrilled to be here with Rachel. 

They walked up to Ray's door and rang the doorbell.

"Well, hello! You must be Patrick?" A man answered with quite a wide smile covering his face.

"Yes, Patrick Brewer, and this is my fiance, Rachel. Nice to meet you, Ray." Patrick shook his hand. 

Ray ushered them toward his car, as he planned to drive them to the apartment visit. When they got there, Ray had again disclosed that someone had chosen to take their life in this apartment.

They walked in and immediately admired the apartment. It had been thoroughly cleaned. There was no indication that any type of tragedy had taken place. The walls and ceilings were freshly painted. The carpets looked brand new or if nothing else immaculate. For the amount of money Ray was asking, this place was a steal. Patrick would've been a fool not to take it. 

Rachel just looked around and decorated the apartment in her mind. It was a three-bedroom apartment. 

Rachel found Patrick talking to Ray in the living room when she pulled him over to the bedrooms. 

"Babe, three bedrooms! We could raise our first baby here!"

"Whoa Rach, let's take this one step at a time. We still need a guest room since our families live hours away, and I really like the third bedroom as an office."

"You always need to plan for the unexpected." Rachel grinned.

"Um….can we get married before we worry about babies?" Patrick entreated.

"Always, the practical one." Rachel knew he was right, but you just never knew what life was going to throw at you.

"You've always told me that you want the big house with the white picket fence. I want to give you that Rach."

"Yes, but this is a great place to start. What do you think? Can we take the place, please?" Rachel pleaded, displaying puppy dog eyes and a pouty bottom lip. 

Patrick had a hard time saying no to her really when she put on the charm, but she wasn't going to have to sell this place too hard. Patrick loved it also. It was a great place to start their new life together in Schitt's Creek.

"Ray, we'll take the place. Grab the paperwork, and I'll sign now."

Before long, Ray handed Patrick the keys to the apartment. Ray dropped them off at his place. Patrick and Rachel thanked him for taking the time this afternoon. 

"Let's go get a copy of the key made for you. This is going to be your home too." Patrick smiled as he pulled Rachel in for a soft kiss.

"This apartment won't be a home without you, Patrick."

"Soon, Rach, soon." He kissed her cheek.

++++

They made their way back to the cafe and grabbed Patrick's car heading to Elmdale to go get a copy of the key made and to grab something to eat as it was approaching dinner time. They settled on a casual Chinese restaurant. 

As they were eating, Patrick was interested in learning more about Schitt's Creek. He asked about the friends Rachel had made. 

"Everyone seems so nice. I've met some really great people. You know Twyla, of course. You'll meet her boyfriend Mutt at some point and can't forget about Stevie, David, and Alexis."

Patrick froze. 

"Patrick, are you okay?" Rachel furrowed her eyebrow as she noticed Patrick went somewhere else.

"I'm fine, Rach. You were saying?" Patrick caught himself thinking about David Rose again. Was that really him? It just wasn't possible.

"Stevie runs the motel you almost stayed at. She's kind of quiet. Then there's David and his sister Alexis. Their family ended up here after losing a lot of money. It sounds sad."

"By chance, do you know their last name?" 

"I actually have no idea." Rachel let out a quick laugh. 

"Their story sounds similar to the Rose Family that owned Rose Video. Remember that video store chain I used to work for?"

"Oh my, now that you say that, I swear I heard David rambling about video stores, but I honestly wasn't paying attention. You went to that training in New York when we were in college. Did you meet them?"

"I did meet David and Johnny briefly, but I doubt they'd remember me." Patrick offered a matter of factly. Patrick always remembered the people he had met. David seemed like a good guy who, at least at the time, was dealing with some family issues. Patrick thought they could've been friends, but when David left without saying goodbye, it was clear that he wasn't interested in that option. In retrospect, Patrick wouldn't have fit into his life. He and David were polar opposites. 

"Soon enough, you guys will be able to get reacquainted. I've only met David a couple of times. He's definitely different but still seems nice enough. The gang is a lot of fun. You'll fit right in."

+++++

They pulled into Twyla's apartment after dinner and headed inside. Patrick dropped his stuff down, and Rachel didn't waste any time as she pinned him against the door, plunging into him.

Patrick halted her pretty quickly. 

"Rach, we have a couple of nights together. Can we just cuddle up on the couch tonight and watch a Hell's Kitchen marathon? In just a few weeks, we'll get to spend every night together for the rest of our lives."

Rachel grabbed Patrick's shirt and pulled him in close for a soft kiss.

"I can't wait, Paddy."

Patrick thanked Rachel for understanding, further explaining he was just tired from the drive. Rachel accepted his feelings, but that didn't stop her from wanting to get her hands on him. 

They snuggled up on the couch and turned on Hell's Kitchen as Rachel's phone went off. 

**Alexis:** Hey Rach, what’s going on?

**Rachel:** Patrick’s in town visiting!! :D

**Alexis:** Send me a picture of you and your sweet button faced fiance, please!!

Rachel pulled in Patrick for a selfie. 

"Who are you sending that to?" Patrick smiled.

"Alexis. I've told her all about you. She took me shopping the other day and helped me pick out a couple of cute outfits."

**Rachel:** Aren’t we cute?

Rachel sent the photo to Alexis.

"Is she the sister of that David guy you were talking about?"

"Yes!! That's her."

Rachel and Alexis had clicked after their shopping trip. Rachel wasn't nearly as stylish as Alexis, but she appreciated Alexis' fashion advice. She wasn't like anyone Rachel had met before.

+++++++

"Alexis, can you tell your phone to fuck off? I'm trying to watch Bridget Jones's Diary." 

David could tell that Alexis had been involved in some kind of text conversation. He had asked her countless times to shut off her ringer or put her phone on vibrate when they were in the room together. David found it rather annoying when her phone went off every five seconds, and he was trying to enjoy one of his favorite rom coms. 

When Alexis didn't answer, he got curious and picked up her phone to see a picture of Rachel and Patrick plastered all over her screen. 

David forgot about his movie as he stared at the photo. _Patrick Brewer. Wait a minute. Was he here now? _

He just saw Rachel last night, and Patrick wasn't with her. 

"David, give me back my phone." Alexis barked. She walked out of the bathroom to find David glued to her phone. It was as if he was watching the movie on her phone instead of the TV. 

"What has you so interested?" Alexis swiped her phone from David, looked down, and continued, "Oh, Rachel and her fiance. So cute! Don't you think, David?"

"Sure, I guess." David casually responded.

Alexis knew David pretty much better than anyone else and knew something was up. Something about that picture bugged him.

"Okay, David, what's going on?" Alexis sat down next to David on his bed. 

"What do you mean?" David waved his arms in the air. 

"I come out of the bathroom, and you're completely engrossed in this photo of Patrick and Rachel. Something tells me it wasn't the cute redhead that caught your eye." Alexis winked at David and smiled.

"You're right. It was Patrick." David put his face in his hands.

"I've never met him, but he seems like quite a button." 

"He is. He was." David didn't want to assume he was the same person but wanted to believe nothing had changed. He got up and started walking across the room and turned around, placing his hands on his hips when Alexis spoke.

"Was? How do you know Patrick?"

David reminded Alexis about the Rose Video training that Johnny forced him to attend many years ago. He told Alexis that he met Patrick during that training, and they spent time together that night. The dancing, the drinking, the hugs, and the almost kiss.

"David, stop. You two almost kissed?"

"He pulled away before anything could happen. He's straight. It's clear. Look at those two." David started moving back toward his bed, sat down, and ran his hand through his hair. 

"I remember you telling me about some guy you met at the training. You wouldn't give me details, but the way you spoke about him, you were practically in love with him." David and Alexis had talked about the training when he returned home and had confided in Alexis how much he enjoyed the presence of a random straight boy. 

"I think that's a bit of a stretch."

"David, I remember this conversation. You definitely had heart eyes for this guy. He's Rachel's fiance. You know he's moving to Schitt's Creek, right?"

"It'll be fine. Patrick won't even remember me. He's not any different than any other straight guy I've found myself attracted to. Please don't say anything to Rachel. If she hears about it, I'd rather it come from Patrick."

David jumped up.

"Stevie!" He exclaimed. "Don't say anything to Stevie! No one has to know about the Rose Video Training."

David looked down at Alexis and saw her texting.

"Ummm...Alexis, who are you texting?"

"Rachel."

"I just asked you not to say anything to her." David could feel his face heating up.

"Chill David, I'm just telling her that yes, she and Patrick look perfect."

++++

Rachel slowly started to open her eyes. She had fallen asleep as Patrick's little naked spoon, her favorite position. Nothing really happened except a lot of kissing, which led to Rachel convincing Patrick to sleep naked. She loved the feeling of Patrick's body on hers even if it didn't lead to sex. He was her favorite security blanket, and the sensation of his warm skin against her own calmed her like nothing else. 

"Good Morning, Beautiful!" Patrick's eyes were fluttering as he reached slightly down and trailed kisses down Rachel's neck. 

"Good Morning, Babe! How did you sleep? I haven't slept this good in a long time." Rachel's smile and her eyes lit up the whole room even though it appeared to be cloudy outside.

"I slept pretty well. I love sleeping next to you. I don't think I'm wearing clothes to bed anymore when you're next to me."

"Is that an invitation?" Rachel winked 

Patrick just laid on his back and put his arms behind his head. When he didn't say anything, Rachel reached over and climbed on top of him. She began peppering Patrick's chest and stomach with many kisses continuing to move south. Patrick wasn't stopping her. Once she finally reached his groin, she noticed a relatively flaccid part of his body. She was going to have her work cut out for her, but she was up for the challenge.

She took him in her mouth, Patrick reacted.

If only she could start every day this way.

+++++++

Rachel had gotten up around lunchtime and threw on a bathrobe as they were both getting hungry. They had spent the morning in bed and made love. It was one of the rare times that Patrick was definitely present and seemed to be interested. It was more than just following around or a quick fuck. She wasn't going to question why Patrick was so in tune with her body this morning. Maybe it was a sign of the times. New town, new plan, and a new life. 

Rachel grabbed cheese and butter from the fridge to whip up a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches. Patrick came up from behind her, grabbed her waist, and kissed her neck. Rachel tilted her head to give him better access as he nuzzled into her throat.

"I love you, Rach."

"I love you too, Paddy."

"I don't want to go back home."

"Don't go back. Stay with me."

"You know I have to do this the right way. It'll only be a couple of weeks, and we'll pick right back where we left off this morning."

"Promise?"

He kissed her neck again and pulled away to grab the bread.

"How about we go for a drive today? Maybe drive around town? Maybe do some furniture shopping?"

"Paddy, you have a fully furnished apartment. Are you leaving everything behind?"

Patrick confirmed he was taking everything with him, but they had a three-bedroom apartment now and needed to at least pick out a bed for the second bedroom. They had decided that the third bedroom would be an office space.

Patrick wasn't looking forward to packing up, but he knew he could grab a few of his buddies at home who would help him unload the apartment. Most people would leave things behind, but Patrick was more practical. He couldn't see spending the money on brand new furniture or appliances when what he had functioned perfectly.

++++++

They had finally made their way out of the apartment and headed to Elmdale. They found a small furniture store and ordered a bed that wasn't due to arrive for a month or so. As they headed back toward Twyla's apartment, they passed a baseball field. It was getting later in the day on Saturday, but Patrick was intrigued. They pulled in and climbed into the bleachers near the baseball diamond, watching what was going on. The players all appeared to be adults, but there were two different teams. 

"So which team are you rooting for?" A random guy turned back to Patrick and asked him.

"I don't know much about either team. I'm new to town and saw the game. Just sat down to check it out." Patrick smiled.

"Oh, welcome to town, man. My name's Josh." Patrick shook his hand.

"Patrick, and this is my fiance, Rachel." Rachel shook his hand.

Josh had asked Patrick if he played ball, explaining that this was a pick-up league comprised of multiple surrounding small towns. It gets quite competitive, but everyone has a lot of fun. Patrick shared stories about the teams he had played for back home and how much he loved playing outfield.

"Patrick, you need to come to practice. We could use another outfielder. I had to sit out today. Pulled a shoulder muscle and taking it easy."

"I'm visiting today, but I'll be back in town for good in a few weeks. You'll have to let me know what the schedule looks like."

Patrick gave Josh his number. The game was wrapping up, and the team huddle post-game was breaking up. Josh suggested Patrick and Rachel come meet some of his buddies. Josh introduced Patrick and Rachel to Ted, the town vet, and Jake, the town's carpenter, and furniture maker. 

"Nice to meet you, Patrick," Jake said as he reached over and kissed Patrick on the cheek. 

Patrick couldn't believe how forward this guy was with Rachel standing right next to him, but then Jake reached over and kissed Rachel too as he introduced himself. 

They talked for a few minutes, and then Patrick and Rachel made their way slowly back to Patrick's car. 

"Hey Babe, what do you think if we spend the night in the new place tonight?"

"That could be fun, Rach, but we need to grab our stuff from Twyla's place."

They talked about it for a few more minutes and decided it would be nice to grab some blankets and pillows from Twyla's and camp out at the new place. 

+++++++++++++++

They decided to pick up an air mattress at a local department store and grabbed sheets and pillows from Twyla's. They ordered pizza for dinner. 

Alexis had texted Rachel shortly after they got back to the new apartment anxious to meet Patrick, but Rachel quickly shut her down since it was her last night with Patrick for a few weeks. Rachel couldn't wait for Patrick to make friends and meet everyone, but she wasn't willing to share him yet. 

They were sitting down on the air mattress enjoying the pizza and some wine they had picked up. 

Patrick grabbed Rachel's empty hand and kissed her knuckles. 

"Rach, I'm glad you decided to do this. I think we're going to be happy here. I have a good feeling about this place."

"It's really happening. I know we haven't set a date, but we're doing this."

Patrick grabbed Rachel and pulled her in for a big hug, and said, "Rach, we're doing this. No one knows me like you. You're my best friend."

"I love you, Paddy. I can't navigate this life without you." Rachel kissed Patrick's cheek.

"Rach, I love you too. I know we're just getting settled in, but lets at least start talking about the wedding. Let's think about whether we want to get married here or back home. You may even want to start looking at vendors."

"Wow, Patrick Brewer. I love Schitt's Creek for you." Patrick smiled and leaned into Patrick's shoulder, and Patrick wrapped his arm around Rachel in a side hug.

They finished up their pizza and got ready for bed. Rachel spent the rest of the night showing Patrick just how thankful she was that he planned the move out to Schitt's Creek. 

She only had a few more hours, and then they wouldn't see each other for a few weeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and feedback keep me going!
> 
> Each chapter's title will be based on a song. I will be storing a playlist for this fic on Spotify. Chapter 7's title is based on the song, "It's All Been Done" By: Barenaked Ladies.
> 
> The playlist can be found [here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0l0LLTswXGeOLJ8jpwrDZ6?si=D-TjIwP7SV-jX6gg2bkx2g)! I hope you enjoy it!


	8. Feeling Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patrick helps a new client.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me if it takes me longer to post the next chapter.....the rom-com deadline is fast approaching!
> 
> This chapter does have chunks of canon dialogue. I know not everyone loves that in a fic, but I personally love the canon dialogue so I needed it here. I hope you like the chapter! 
> 
> A special thank you to my amazing beta on this chapter [ edie4711](https://archiveofourown.org/users/edie4711/pseuds/edie4711). She was my cheerleader and provided great support! Thank you so so much! <3

Patrick woke up as his alarm went off and felt a smile come across his face. He was feeling so much lighter these days. Things with Rachel were going well, and Patrick was enjoying his work with Ray. It just felt so much more rewarding than his work at the accounting firm he had just left. Granted, the money wasn't nearly as good, but he was so much happier. Patrick had been with Ray for about a week.

Patrick slid out of bed and found himself singing:

_Birds flyin' high_

_You know how I feel_

_Sun in the sky_

_You know how I feel_

_Breeze drifting by_

_You know how I feel_

_It's a new dawn_

_A new day_

_A new life_

_For me and I'm feelin' good _

Rachel came into the bathroom, starting to freshen up and asked Patrick, "Babe, what has you so chipper this morning?" 

"It's going to be a good day." Patrick smiled.

"New Client?" 

"Not that I know of….just a good feeling about the day. Today's your first official day of school at Schitt's Creek Elementary. Maybe that's it?" 

"I'm excited and nervous. Everyone in town seems so friendly, but it's always hard to be the new kid on the block."

"You're going to do great, Rach. Everyone will love you. They always do!" Patrick kissed Rachel on the cheek as he hopped into the shower.

Moments later, Patrick came back into their bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. Rachel stared him down with a mischievous grin. 

"Rach, not this morning. I really need to get to Ray's and review my calendar." Patrick quickly commented as he grabbed his clothes from the closet and started to get dressed.

"You can't blame a girl for trying." Rachel shyly smiled.

Patrick offered to make breakfast after he got dressed. He whipped up a couple breakfast sandwiches and grabbed some fruit out of the fridge. 

"Who needs Cafe Tropical when I have my own personal breakfast chef?" Rachel chortled as she took a bite of her sandwich.

"It wouldn't hurt for us to cut corners where we could to save a few bucks here and there for the wedding. I have baseball practice tonight, but I could stop at the store on the way home and grab some ingredients to make some muffins?"

"Yes! I love your muffins!"

"Oh, and we need some of that delicious coffee cake that you make. Text me the ingredients, and I'll grab that too!"

As they finished up breakfast, they planned out their evening. Rachel would get dinner going when she got home, so it would be read by the time he got back from baseball practice. They cleaned up and grabbed their stuff to head out. They left together.

"You're going to do awesome today, Rach!" Patrick kissed Rachel goodbye.

"Thanks, Babe! Good luck with your new clients today! They'll love you!" 

Patrick drove over to Rays and checked the files that Ray had left on his desk. Everything looked simple enough. He had a few tax appointments, a couple budgeting sessions, but one meeting struck him immediately.

Patrick had an appointment with David Rose this morning. According to the file, David had leased the space belonging to a General Store that had just closed in town. It made sense that if the Rose family was down on their luck that they would look at new business opportunities. 

Since Patrick moved to Schitt's Creek about a week ago, he and Rachel hadn't left the apartment much other than running a periodic errand often involving trips to Elmdale. Patrick really hadn't met a lot of people in town as of yet.

The early morning went by, and Patrick was able to finish his appointments on time. It was about 11am, and Patrick heard the door open. Ray greeted their visitor as he was upfront working on an engagement photoshoot. 

Suddenly Ray called for Patrick, "Patrick!" 

Patrick walked into the front room with a wide-mouthed smile as Ray handed him one of those deli counter ticket numbers.

"B13", Ray advised Patrick. 

David looked up and couldn't believe his eyes. He forced himself to stay straight-faced. _ Patrick Brewer….God, he is beautiful and that smile….I remember that smile. _

"Here, this is for you." David handed Patrick the ticket. 

Patrick was already grinning ear to ear. _David Rose....I could never forget that face. He looked older, but he looked good….really good. Fuck! Am I checking him out?_

"Patrick." Patrick extends his hand toward David. 

"David." 

"David Rose. You bought the general store." 

Patrick has realized he can't stop smiling, and David hasn't given anything away yet. 

_ _"Leased. Leased the general store. Ya." David was very quick to correct him remaining cool and calm._ _

_ _"It's a big deal." Patrick cheered. _ _

_ _"Is it?" David responded casually, waving his hands._ _

_ _"It's pretty big." Patrick gestured to the chair and continued, "Wanna have a seat?" Patrick continued to wear a small smile._ _

_ _David nodded and moved toward the chair and sat down._ _

_ _Patrick went to sit down behind his desk and pulled out the incorporation forms for David's new business. He couldn't understand why David wasn't more excited about starting his own business. The David he remembered couldn't wait to do something for himself. Something must have happened since they last met to shake his confidence. _ _

_ _David found himself quite nervous all of a sudden. He wasn't quite sure if it was the fact that Patrick was in front of him or just anxious about pursuing his own store. Patrick hadn't done anything but encourage him so far. He just had to relax._ _

_ _Patrick looked down at the form and started to ask David questions._ _

_ _ "So why don't we start with the name of the business?" _ _

_ _David hesitated but finally responded._ _

_ _"I'm oscillating between two names at the moment. So, if we could leave that one blank, that would be great." _ _

_ _Patrick smirked to himself, watching David wave his hands as he was talking. David hadn't changed much. He was just as animated as Patrick had remembered. _Stay cool Brewer. __ _

_ _"Sure…sure…give you more time to oscillate." Patrick was still slightly grinning as he responded._ _

David jerked his head back and parted his lips. _ What the actual fuck? Is Patrick mocking me?_

_ _"Um, Business address?" Patrick casually asked._ _

_ _ "So I'm working on that…um, I'm currently staying at a motel, and I think it might be confusing if I gave you the address to another business." As David explained, his brows drew closer, and he continued to move his hands side to side. The nerves were starting to kick in. He questioned to himself how he ever thought he could do this._ _

_ _"Yep. For sure. We'll leave that blank as well." Patrick nodded in agreement as his lips curved upward._ _

_ _David nodded in agreement as well._ _

_ _"Batting a thousand here, David," Patrick smirked._ _

_ _Patrick sensed David's nervousness and wanted to lighten the mood with a baseball pun, which proved to be the opposite of effective. _ _

"I don't know what that means," David responded matter of factly. _ Batting 1000? What the fuck does that mean? _

_ _Patrick chuckled. _ _

_ _"Ah, hey, here's an easy one. Brief description of the business?" Patrick asked, attempting to remove all emotion from his face. He was hoping to ease David back into their conversation._ _

_ _"Um well... It's um …it's a general store, but it's also a very specific store. It's also not just a store. It's like a place where people can come get coffee um or drinks, but it's not a coffee shop um nor is it a bar." David continued to explain moving his hands in different directions to convey his vision more effectively. As he described his vision, his eyebrows drew together again, and his face tensed up._ _

_ _"Okay, so we're pretty clear on what it's not." Patrick grinned._ _

_ _"It's an environment…um… and yes, we will be selling things, but it's more like…. more like a branded immersive experience." David interrupted, almost annoyed, waving his hands in a circle as he explained. _ _

_ _"Right. I love the buzzwords David, but I do need to put something down here." Patrick sneered._ _

_ _"Okay. You couldn't use anything I just said?" David's eyebrows drew closer together as he moved his hands in a circle. _ What the fuck is going on here? What's wrong with him? __ _

_ _"Tell you what, why don't you...um…take these home with you and fill them out when you have…ah…ah…a clearer idea of what you want to do with your business." Patrick smiled, handed the forms to David, and folded his hands on top of the desk._ _

_ _"Okay, I do have a clear idea." David looked down at the forms as his lips curved downward and a hard line between his eyebrows. _ I know exactly what I want to do with my business, but just looking at him. I can't focus. Why can't I explain my vision to him? __ _

_ _"Oh. You've settled on a name then?" Patrick asked with a grin._ _

_ _"You're either very impatient or extremely sure of yourself." David's lips partially curved upwards as he observed Patrick. _ _

_ _"Threw you a bit of a change-up there. Huh?" Patrick smiled._ _

_ _"Again, I don't know what that means. I don't play cricket." David blankly replied as he looked down at the form and back at Patrick._ _

_ _Patrick lightly chuckled._ _

_ _Patrick got up, grabbed one of his business cards, and handed it to David. _ _

_ _"Take this. It's my card, and I do feel like you _will need it_."_ _

You know what? I think I am good. Um….so thank you for this." David took the card and got up, starting to head toward the door, expressionless. _ Get me the fuck out of here. _

_ _"Nice to meet you, David." Patrick smiled._ _

_ _"Ya." David looked back and left._ _

_ _Patrick sat back down at his desk, not sure of what exactly had just happened. He realized that maybe he gave David a bit of a hard time. Patrick almost felt bad to an extent. He didn't know what David had been up to all this time. Maybe his art gallery never got off the ground. Perhaps this was David's first attempt at starting his own business. If that were true, maybe Patrick should've asked more questions. David could've been nervous, causing an inability to articulate his business plan back to Patrick. Patrick wouldn't usually treat a client that way. In retrospect, he was quite disappointed in how he handled David. He really thought he was funny, but doubted David thought so. Patrick didn't usually crack jokes when meeting with a client. What was that all about? He was only accustomed to sputtering sports puns when amongst his buddies, but he and David weren't on that level. At least not yet. _ _

_ _Patrick was getting hungry and knew he had some more appointments this afternoon, so he headed out to Café Tropicale for lunch. He grabbed his lunch to go, a tuna fish sandwich, and found a park bench to sit on. Patrick's mind took a trip down memory lane. _ _

_ _He thought about New York and remembered how disappointed he was when David didn't show up for the last day of training. Patrick never let himself understand why and even now, he still didn't know why it bothered him so much at the time, but eventually let it go. Patrick never told anyone about David. What Patrick knew for sure was that he had connected with David in a way that he didn't think he had connected with another human before. Not even with Rachel. _ _

_ _This all happened about 9-10 years ago. Patrick was sure millions of people had come in and out of David's life since. Patrick was just a blip in David's exciting life. David didn't bring up New York this morning, so Patrick would work towards forgetting about their previous meeting and concentrate on how he could help David with his business. He would help David with his incorporation papers, and they would see each other on an occasion in town or with a group of friends._ _

_ _++++++_ _

_ _David left Patrick's office quite unsure of what had occurred. The Patrick that David met in New York was not nearly as condescending as the man he had just met. He knew regardless, he would have to tolerate him in group settings. Alexis was quite fond of Rachel, and with Rachel came Patrick. Maybe it was just a bad first impression, but it wasn't their first time meeting. Clearly, Patrick didn't remember David. Was that what was irking him? He came off so smug, but the Patrick he knew was so sweet. _ _

_ _After a failed attempt to go over the paperwork for the store, David questioned everything. He contemplated whether he could really do this. Would the store be a failure like his gallery? On paper, the gallery was a success, but in David's eyes that wasn't accurate knowing the lengths his parents had gone through to ensure it stayed in the black._ _

_ _David needed to find Stevie. She would help him sort this out. She had a way of giving David perspective._ _

_ _**David **: Hey, where are you?_ _

_ _** Stevie **: Cleaning rooms. How did your meeting go?_ _

_ _** David **: I’m not sure. Can I talk to you about it?_ _

_ _** Stevie **: Yes, I’m about to go into Room 4. See you soon!_ _

_ _++++++_ _

_ _Patrick had left his phone behind when he went for lunch, and when he returned, he found that he had a text from Rachel. _ _

_ _**Rachel:** Hey Babe, how's your day going? Things are good here. These kids are adorable, and the teachers are so welcoming. _ _

_ _Patrick looked at the time. He wasn't familiar with Rachel's schedule at school just yet but figured he'd try to call her. He was confused by the whirlwind of David Rose that had just occurred. He needed something safe and familiar. He needed Rachel._ _

_ _"Hey, Babe!"_ _

_ _"Hi, Rach. Can you talk?"_ _

_ _"Patrick, what's wrong?" Rachel could sense in his voice that something wasn't quite right._ _

_ _"Nothing at all. I just wanted to hear your voice." _ _

_ _"It's nice to hear yours. How's your day going? Anything exciting happen this morning?"_ _

_ _"Well, I met David Rose."_ _

_ _"He's quite a character, huh?" Rachel asked with a slight chuckle._ _

_ _"That's one way to put it. I shouldn't get into much more than that as it was part of a business meeting for now."_ _

_ _"I completely understand. Speaking of interesting mornings, Josh, that guy on your baseball team is a teacher here."_ _

_ _"Oh, really?"_ _

_ _"I was quite surprised."_ _

_ _"That's great, Rach. He seems like a good guy."_ _

_ _"He was showing me around this morning. Very friendly."_ _

_ _"I'm glad to hear that you're settling in so well. I should get going as I have a few appointments this afternoon, but I can't wait to hear about your day later. Love you, Rach."_ _

_ _"Patrick, you sure that you're okay?"_ _

_ _"Much better now that we've talked."_ _

_ _"Enjoy your afternoon! Love you!"_ _

_ _Rachel was his safety net. She brought him back down to a stable place._ _

_ _Patrick had a little bit more time before his next client and fought back the urge to google David to see what he had been up to and if he had opened a gallery. He was curious but knew it would seem creepy or even stalkerish. Instead, he filled his time reviewing some paperwork that he had been working on for other clients._ _

_ _++++++_ _

_ _David had slipped on some rubber gloves and was helping Stevie clean rooms._ _

_ _"Um, so I went to incorporate earlier today, and some guy basically told me that my business was a failure." David leaned up against the cleaning cart and crinkled his forehead, maintaining a casual tone._ _

_ _Stevie was laying out a sheet on one of the beds in the room she was cleaning._ _

_ _"What?" Stevie snapped suddenly as her head turned from focusing on the bed to concentrate on David._ _

_ _"Ya."_ _

_ _"Who told you that?" Stevie's eyebrows moved toward the center of her head. _ _

_ _"Some guy who's working at Ray's." David furrowed his eyebrows and lifted his hands to move them forward._ _

_ _"Some guy who's working at Ray's told you that your business was a failure?" Stevie parroted straight-faced as she continued to spread out the sheet on the bed._ _

_ _"Basically, ya," David confirmed and turned to look at the cart full of sheets._ _

_ _"Well, well, what did he say?" Stevie tried to clarify as she focused on making the bed._ _

_ _"He basically said to come back to him once I had a clearer idea of what my business was." David's eyebrows gathered together at the center of his forehead as he slid his hands back and forth. _ _

_ _"And then he told you it was a failure?" Stevie tried to clarify._ _

_ _"Well, no, not exactly." David relaxed his head._ _

_ _"I'm sorry. I'm just trying to figure out when he called your business a failure." Stevie looked directly at David._ _

_ _"Okay, maybe he didn't call my business a failure." David got defensive and furrowed his right eyebrow. David continued, "but it was insinuated." Both eyebrows were now raised, and David had taken both hands and moved his wrists in a circular motion._ _

_ _"Okay." Stevie finished the sheet that she was working around and spun around._ _

_ _"So you know I think your business is a good idea, and you know I mean that because I'm incapable of faking sincerity. I'm also incapable of sincerity in general." Stevie advised. David nodded in agreement as she spoke._ _

_ _"Okay, I'm going through it right now, I might have been the one to insinuate that my business was a failure." David started to recount his conversation in his head and admitted to Stevie._ _

_ _"Wait, you blew something out of proportion?" Stevie questioned._ _

_ _"What if he's right? I'm sitting on a big empty space, and I couldn't tell him what I wanted to do with it." David started to panic._ _

_ _"You're freaking out because you know what you want to do with your business. You've walked me through it one too many times, so he was probably trying to help."_ _

_ _As Stevie explained, David tried to get a word in, but instead, he just listened. _ _

_ _"He was very snippy." David pointed out, directing his index fingers forward._ _

_ _Stevie pulled a joint out of her sweatshirt pocket._ _

_ _"Okay, I found this under the bed in room two, so you want to take a break?"_ _

_ _"That's disgusting, and uh, yes." David moved his hands forward and nodded._ _

_ _+++++++_ _

_ _Patrick saw another client, and during that visit, his phone kept vibrating. The same phone number kept flashing. It wasn't a phone number that Patrick recognized, so Patrick decided to wait till he finished up with his client to check his messages, apologizing for his phone. _ _

_ _When his client left, Patrick found Ray and wanted to ask him if he recognized this phone number. He found Ray organizing his bedroom closet._ _

_ _"Patrick! I meant to ask if I could organize your closet!"_ _

_ _"Thanks, Ray. I'm all set for now. Do you think you could help me with a phone number that kept calling my phone while Mr. Wilson was in?" _ _

_ _"Sure, Patrick. What's the phone number?"_ _

_ _"908-555-3456."_ _

_ _"Yes, I recognize that phone number. That belongs to David Rose." Ray chuckled and continued. "He called the office several times before we set up today's appointment, and I just remembered his number."_ _

_ _Patrick's eyes widened in shock and then smiled as he looked at his call history._ _

_ _"6 missed calls and 6 voicemail messages."_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on tumblr under "vanillahigh00." I don't post much as I am navigating the tumblr world, but feel free to talk to me on there! 
> 
> You can also find me on IG under "vanilla_high_00."
> 
> Kudos and feedback keep me going!
> 
> Each chapter's title will be based on a song. I will be storing a playlist for this fic on Spotify. Chapter 8's title is based on the song, "Feeling Good" By Michael Buble.
> 
> The playlist can be found [here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0l0LLTswXGeOLJ8jpwrDZ6?si=D-TjIwP7SV-jX6gg2bkx2g)! I hope you enjoy it!


	9. Help!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David leaves voicemails.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it's taken me forever to update! I promise this won't happen again. After my Rom Com published, I got into some serious writer's block and started another fic [ The Ocean Brought Me To You ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24564343/chapters/59323222)which is a wip as well. I'll be working on both of these and hoping to publish a chapter in each once a week at least. 
> 
> A special thank you to my amazing beta and dear friend[ edie4711](https://archiveofourown.org/users/edie4711/pseuds/edie4711). Thank you so so much! <3
> 
> This story will be a long one so I hope you guys are ready! My outline is at least 28 chapters at this point.

David found himself standing in this middle of the store, wondering what the fuck he had done. A joint and a lunchtime quickie with Stevie weren't enough to calm his nerves. Just thinking about his meeting with Patrick this morning made him uneasy. He found a chair in the middle of his space and moved it around, sitting down after a few minutes. Stevie insisted that he try to talk to Patrick again. He knew he had to do it. David took Patrick's card out of his wallet and took a few deep breaths. 

He dialed Patrick's phone number. The consistent ring was unnerving as David sat there, tapping his fingers on his legs. He could feel his chest tighten with each ring. When Patrick's voicemail picked up, David breathed a brief sigh of relief until he introduced himself as Patrick and scrunched his face. At that moment, his entire body tensed. He explained he was looking to go over his business plan and asked Patrick to call him back as he ended the call with "ciao." 

David hadn't finished a conversation with "ciao" since he left New York. It was his signature goodbye, followed by a double cheek kiss. Patrick wasn't anything like any of his "friends" in New York, so it seemed very off-brand to use "ciao" in Schitt's Creek.

David attempted again to call Patrick and left another message, "Hi Patrick, I think...I think I called you David, which that's not... that's not your name. You can just delete that text. The voice...the voicemail I left you. Um...just thought it might be a good idea to give you some background information about the...the store. It's basically a general store. Um...that will support local artists under the brand of the store, which...which would also be my brand. Sorry just got a text." David said as his phone beeped. Distracted from the text, he disconnected his voicemail to Patrick. 

** Stevie **: Thank you for the "break!"  
** Stevie **: I hope all goes well at Ray's.  
** Stevie **: You're going to do great!   
** Stevie **: You've got this! *winky face emoji*

Stevie meant well, but she had horrible fucking timing!

David attempted a third call and left another voicemail message, "The text cut us off." David's voice had almost risen an octave just in time for his phone's battery life to expire.

_Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! _

David plugged in his phone and walked around the store. His palms were clammy, his belly warm, and his mind full of thoughts of Patrick Brewer. David was so used to telling people what he wanted. No, demanding what he wanted, especially when he was preparing for a show at his gallery. He didn't hesitate to require perfection, whether it was how the gallery was decorated, music, lighting, how the food was prepared, how the catering staff dressed, how his own staff dressed. He was a perfectionist, and if something didn't fit his vision, he demanded change. No amount of money was too significant to set everything just as he had envisioned. He thought that's what made his gallery such a success until his mother told him otherwise.

Stevie was right about David's plan for the store, David knew what he wanted, but sober or high, he couldn't effectively communicate it to Patrick. Patrick was a beacon of perfection. He was stable, confident, kind, and incredibly sexy, which he probably didn't even realize. It was all very intimidating, but he had to try again. 

David paced around the store for a few more minutes. Although still incredibly high and now very hungry, David picked up his phone and noticed a sufficient amount of battery left and decided to try Patrick again.

"So Patrick, have you...have you ever bought fungal cream at a store and wished you could find cereal right next to it? Ya, I didn't think so. You won't be able to find fungal cream in my store, and even if I did sell fungal cream in my store, I certainly wouldn't place it next to the cereal. This is why the other general store is not in business. Fortunately for me, I'll have a beautiful store filled with products to make you look and feel good, all made by local vendors. Not that _ you_ need to look good. I bet you always look good, which is not the point. My store will carry fresh vegetables and berries...oh, I could really go for some blueberry pancakes right now. We'll need to meet for breakfast one morning and discuss this business plan. There is this new pancake place I've wanted to try, and you need to eat breakfast before Ray puts you to work all day long. Speaking of all day long, I'll even sell wine so people can drink away their day in this schitty town. Call me!"

_Fuck!_ David had forgotten to tell him about the community events he wanted to plan inside the store. 

"In case you haven't figured out, this is David Rose again. I forgot to tell you about the community evening events I plan to hold in the store, such as book clubs or painting nights, maybe a poetry reading. A place where people can gather, have wine and cheese, maybe shop in my store, but I'm not opening up like an after-hours bar where people come and perform. Ugh, can you imagine people singing to strangers? Just the thought of amateur singer/songwriters performing makes me ill. Call me!"

After five voicemails, David realized that he hadn't given the store a name, although he had finally settled on one.

"Oh my God, the store does have a name. Rose Apothecary. You need to call me so we can get this paperwork filed. I have so much to do and so little time. I need to hire contractors and finalize my vendors. Oh, you've got to try Heather's cheese, and Veronica's wines are the smoothest blends I've tasted outside of Napa Valley. Oh, that's a great idea, a wine tasting with Veronica. People are drunks so they'll come for this and then they'll shop. Well, that's my business plan in a nutshell. Call me!"

David breathed a massive sigh of relief as his mouth upturned. He stood there and laughed. He had no idea what he just said to Patrick through the span of multiple messages, but knew he said a lot. He grabbed his form and started filling it out. As he described the business on the application, he scratched out several words and decided he needed a new form. 

He needed to visit Patrick. The thought scared him because he had no idea if he just made a total fool out of himself on voicemail, but that was all trumped by an excuse to see him smile. Even after all this time, Patrick's smile still melted David into a puddle. 

+++++

Patrick's eyes widened, and his lips upturned as he read his call history. He shared with Ray that he had six missed calls and six messages.

Ray giggled, "That David Rose is going to be a handful."

Patrick nodded with a wide grin, "Oh yes, he is."

Patrick went to sit down at his desk to listen to the voicemails. David sounded so nervous, and it was almost endearing. In the first message, David had introduced himself as Patrick. 

"Wow. David sounded so nervous, and he kept calling you back," Ray said as he walked by Patrick's desk.

Patrick paused the voicemails and thought about this morning and their evening in New York. On the final day of training in New York, Patrick planned to get David's phone number so they could at least keep in touch, but since David left, they never got that opportunity. Patrick was never sure why he wanted to stay in David's life, but now he'll be able to figure it out.

Patrick's face heated up as he listened to David tell him that he always looked good. David had only seen him this morning, right? Or did he remember Patrick and didn't want to say anything. Why was he blushing? It's natural when someone pays you a compliment, but somehow it seemed more meaningful coming from David. Patrick just didn't understand why. Guys didn't walk around telling Patrick that he looked good, but David wasn't like any other guy.

Patrick played all the messages a couple times and was able to put together enough information to complete David's forms. 

Just then Ray popped in and delivered a message to Patrick, "Mr. Jones called and said he needs to reschedule his tax appointment this afternoon and asked that I have you call him back."

Patrick thanked him for the message. 

That pretty much freed up Patrick's afternoon. He didn't have any other appointments scheduled, so he made a quick trip to the town hall and filed David's papers. He asked Ronnie to expedite the documents and assured her that he owed her a favor.

After he visited the town hall, Patrick headed back to Ray's to review all his files to make sure there wasn't any other work Patrick could do before he left for the day to get ready for baseball practice.

"Hi," David said quietly. 

He had come out of nowhere. Patrick's back was to him writing something down on his desk, and the moment he heard his voice, his heart started racing faster.

David waved the form Patrick had given him earlier that day and said casually, "So I messed up my form, and I'm going to need another form from you."

Patrick nodded and reached out his hand to grab the form from David and said, "Oh. Okay."

Patrick looked at the form. David nervously tapped his fingers. Patrick then looked up at David and flashed a wide smile.

David looked at Patrick and asked softly, "What?"

"Nothing. I just…ah… I'm so glad you made such good use of my business card. I'm sorry I didn't pick up. I was at a thing." Patrick replied with a grin.

Patrick moved around to the other side of his desk.

"Well, best, you didn't," David said with a retort.

"But, I got all your messages," Patrick said and picked up a maroon file folder containing David's completed forms. Patrick walked back toward David and crossed his arms over his chest, grasping the file folder.

"Ah….and just listened to the first one and then erased the rest?" David asked casually.

Patrick very quickly replied, "No. No. No." David shook his head quietly at the same time, saying, "No."

"No, I listened to all of them. I kinda had to, to piece them together. Actually, I played them for a few friends of mine. I was at a birthday party, so there were a lot of people weighing in." Patrick said in a slightly sarcastic tone.

"Okay, …um."

"Just kidding. I didn't play them for anybody." Patrick said with a slight laugh.

Ray walked by Patrick's office and added, "I thought the first few very were humorous, David and then I lost interest."

"I may have played them here on speakerphone." 

"Okay. Can I just get the paperwork, and then I can…." David said, starting to sound annoyed.

"The good thing about the messages is that I was able to get enough information to fill out your forms," Patrick said, interrupting David and then handed David the file folder.

"Oh, I wish I could remember," David said, slightly surprised.

Patrick looked at David with a slight smile, "It's a good idea…your business…rebranding local products and crafts …it's very inventive."

David thanked Patrick as he flipped through the contents of the file folder.

"And I like the name…Rose Apothecary…. it's just pretentious enough." Patrick said with a slight smile.

"Would we call that pretentious or timeless?" David challenged.

"So, I'll call you when I hear something, and if I don't get a hold of you, I'll just leave a message," Patrick said with a hint of a smile.

David, still irritated, smiled, and said, "Okay. Thanks."

Ray walked by and said, "Ciao."

David turned to leave.

Patrick watched him walk out the door smiling. Not only was Patrick happy to see David again, but excited to see David start his own business, as they had talked about so many years ago.

+++++

David drove back to the motel after he visited Patrick and headed to the lobby. He slammed the door open as he entered the motel lobby.

"Well, hello there, Sunshine. How was your second visit with the guy at Ray's?" Stevie asked, coming around the front of the motel lobby desk and greeted David with a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm not sure what's worse. The fact that I left him six messages rambling about the business or the fact that he actually listened to all of them and filed my paperwork for me."

"Well, you were probably high when you left those messages, and he did his job, ignoring how crazy you sounded. He seems like a good guy." Stevie said. 

"It was nice that he filed the paperwork. People actually do that kind of thing?" David asked, furrowing his eyebrow.

"Yes, not all people are bad. Is this guy new in town?"

"Uh...yes, he's Rachel's fiance." 

"He told you that?" Stevie asked.

"No, Rachel showed me a picture of him at the cafe one day," David said, a matter of factly. He wasn't prepared to tell Stevie about his history with Patrick. At least not now. 

"It sounds like we can officially welcome Patrick into the group. We should all meet up for dinner or something. He helped you out, and something tells me he could be good for your business, David." 

"He actually said my business was a good idea when I went back."

"The same guy that called your business a failure this morning?" Stevie asked as she furrowed her eyebrow and placed her hands on her hips.

David scrunched his face in some formation of an annoyed grin.

"He sounds nice. You should shoot him a text thanking him for his help." Stevie added.

"Ya, I can do that later, but I need to thank you too for today. Meet me in our room after your shift?"

"Hmmm, yes," Stevie said with a grin. 

David pulled Stevie into a deep kiss before sneaking out of the motel lobby.

+++++

Patrick pulled into the ballfield and was surprised to find Rachel there. 

"Hey, Babe! How was your day?" Rachel asked as she pressed a chaste kiss to Patrick's lips and turned to face Josh again. 

Patrick decided to avoid the fact that he spent the afternoon thinking about David and just casually commented that the rest of the afternoon went smoothly. He had no reason really to bring up David. Rachel already knew David, and Patrick already told her that he was working with him.

Patrick had proceeded to ask Rachel about her day. Rachel had revealed that Josh had invited her to baseball practice. 

"She's going to be one of our cutest cheerleaders," Josh said with a smile as he glanced at Rachel.

Rachel smiled in return.

"Rachel loves baseball. She used to watch me play at home. We've spent a lot of time traveling to various ball fields. We have a plan to visit every baseball stadium in the country."

"Cute and loves baseball. Patrick, you've got the perfect woman."

"I do." Patrick smiled and kissed Rachel on the cheek. Patrick certainly knew that. 

"Alright, let's get everyone together and get practice going. Big game this weekend against Bob's Garage." Josh said as he ran off.

Patrick ran off closely behind him.

The team broke themselves up into two different teams and formed a scrimmage. Josh's team was up at-bat, and Patrick's team was in the outfield. 

Josh was up, and Rachel started cheering him on, and Patrick looked over at her, trying to give her a dirty look, but Rachel didn't seem to notice. 

As Rachel cheered on Josh, he looked over at Rachel and smiled. As soon as he turned away from the pitcher, the pitcher threw a ball, and it hit Josh square in the back, knocking him over. Rachel came racing over to check on him. Josh just looked up at Rachel and stared. His blue eyes met her blue eyes. Patrick came over, and Rachel asked him to get some ice. Patrick did as he was told, but was slightly annoyed at the fact she raced over to help him. 

Rachel drove Josh home, agreeing with Patrick they'd pick up her car at the ballfield tomorrow.

++++++

Patrick was tired after baseball practice, and since Rachel was at Josh's, he didn't feel like going to the grocery store. He came back to the house, grabbed a shower, and threw some leftovers in the microwave.

He grabbed his phone to see if he had any messages since he left the office before 5. 

He missed a text:

**David:**Hello Patrick, this is David Rose. I hope contacting you for a business purpose is a good use of your business card! (LOL face emoji)

**Patrick:** Hello David. Please feel to call or text me any time with any questions. 

**David:** I'm sorry about today. I really do have a vision for my business. I'm looking forward to the completion of all this paperwork and red tape.

**Patrick:** Honestly, David, I should apologize. I'm sorry I teased you this morning. It really wasn't very professional.

**Patrick:** It may take a couple of weeks for the paperwork to come back, but please feel free to reach out with any questions. You really have a great plan.

**David:** Thank you, Patrick. I appreciate your help, especially after all the voicemails….if I were you, I would have been extremely annoyed.

**Patrick:**It was rather comical. I was glad I was able to help.

**David:** Thanks again and have a good night. I'm sure we will talk soon.

**Patrick:**I hope we do! Good Night David.

Patrick wanted to bring up the contents of the text, but he'd save those messages for later. He didn't delete any of them. It's not like he planned on using them for blackmail, but something told him to keep them, and so he did. 

++++++

It was almost 11pm by the time Rachel walked through the door of their apartment. Patrick was watching a baseball game on television that was due to wrap up soon. 

Patrick looked up as Rachel came in the door and said, "You're home later than I thought. Is Josh okay?"

"I'm sorry, Paddy. I fell asleep on his couch. I helped him get tucked into bed and sat on his couch for a little bit, waiting for him to fall asleep and took a nap of my own." Rachel said as she came over, sat on Patrick's lap, placed a chaste kiss on his lips, and continued, "I want to hear all about today. Will you be up for a bit?"

"Rach, why did you run over to him?" Patrick asked a matter of factly.

"What do you mean? He was hurt," Rachel asked as she furrowed her eyebrow.

"You practically ran over everyone to get to him. You took _him_ home. You fell asleep at _ his _ house."

"Patrick Brewer, if I didn't know any better, I"d say you were jealous." Rachel sat down on the couch and smirked.

"He likes you, Rach," Patrick said as he personally contemplated how he felt about tonight's situation. He knew Rachel was trying to do the right thing, but he needed to hear her say it was just him and not Josh. 

"Don't be silly. I went over to his house because he lives alone and he was in pain. I literally tucked him into bed and waited a few minutes before I left to make sure he was all set. This baseball team means a lot to you. He's a friend of mine and wanted to help. I promise there's nothing more to this. You're the only one I want to come home to," Rachel said as she looked up at Patrick and traced her finger along his jawline. She then crawled into his lap and kissed him.

A few minutes later, Patrick suggested they get ready for bed and then talk since it was getting late. He decided not to make a big deal about this situation. Rachel had never done anything to shake his trust in her after all this time. It had been a long enough day and Patrick really just wanted to go to sleep.

After they both crawled into bed, Rachel turned over on her side, facing Patrick. 

"Tell me about the rest of your day. I'm glad you met David, although it sounded like your meeting was a bit awkward."

"He couldn't clearly articulate his thought process, I think I actually gave him a lot of shit today and surprised he doesn't hate me."

"No one could hate you. Did he recognize you?" Rachel asked as her eyes softened.

"No, he didn't, but I wouldn't expect someone like David Rose to remember someone like me."

"Patrick, you aren't just like everyone else. I'm sure if you guys start talking about your visit to New York, he'll remember. Do you have the opportunity to see him again for another business purpose? I could always get the gang together to introduce you two socially." Rachel suggested with a smile. She always loved group gatherings.

"I will be visiting the store for a couple of business-related activities, but he and I are in a better place. We exchanged a few texts while you were out, and I think we're good." Patrick said with a smile.

"I'm glad to hear that. I like our little group in Schitt's Creek. I'll talk to the girls about planning a night out. There's always the Wobbly Elm."

"Sounds good Rach, I'm going to turn over and go to sleep," Patrick said and kissed Rachel goodnight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad Patrick and David have reconnected even though no one is willing to talk about it....yet!
> 
> You can find me on tumblr under "vanillahigh00." I don't post much as I am navigating the tumblr world, but feel free to talk to me on there! 
> 
> You can also find me on IG under "vanilla_high_00."
> 
> Kudos and feedback keep me going!
> 
> Each chapter's title will be based on a song. I will be storing a playlist for this fic on Spotify. Chapter 9's title is based on the song, "Help" by the Beatles.


	10. You've Got A Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patrick and Rachel talk about Josh. Patrick goes to dinner without Rachel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This update took longer than I planned and I'm so sorry! I'm really trying to get on a weekly plan to publish, but this chapter really fought me. I hope you like it!
> 
> I couldn't have done this without my amazing beta and dear friend[ edie4711](https://archiveofourown.org/users/edie4711/pseuds/edie4711). Thank you so so much! <3

"So Rachel's fiance is here? Like, now?" Alexis asked, sitting down at the table and filing her nails.

Alexis' head was in the clouds lately, full of thoughts of Ted and her upcoming graduation. David wanted to be understanding, but he wanted her to pay attention to him as well. They did share a room after all.

"Yes, I told you this, "David said impatiently as he looked up from Alexis. He was also filing his nails, one leg crossed over the other. 

"And he didn't recognize you?" Alexis asked, sounding surprised. Her hands stilled, and she looked up at David. 

"Do you listen to anything I say?" David replied, waving his arms.

"Text him, we're all having dinner tonight," Alexis commanded, putting her nail file down and grabbing David's phone and passing it to him. "I've been dying to meet Rachel's button-face fiance, and you're still clearly crushing on him after all this time. Do it, David. You know you want to."

"I'll think about it." David put his phone down and continued to file his nails. 

David didn't hate the idea of spending more time with Patrick. Getting to know the adult version of Patrick Brewer, the sassy businessman, the only one whose last name wasn't Rose, who could possibly give David advice. It wouldn't hurt to have another male friend in town either. The only guys his own age he spoke to were Ted and Jake, but David was no longer interested in Jake's brand of socialization. Most of his friends back in New York had been female, but he had had a few leachy male friends who immediately ignored David after his family lost their money. That wouldn't be a problem in Schitt's Creek. 

++++++

It had been an interesting week. Patrick wasn't sure if he was over the fact that Rachel had fallen asleep at another man's house, a man who neither of them really knew. Patrick and Rachel hadn't spoken much since. Considering he had just picked up his entire life and moved it for Rachel, he knew he should try to talk things out with her. Lack of honest communication was no way to start their life together. 

On the flip side, he had reconnected with David Rose. Patrick was really excited to watch David's business form from the ground up. Patrick had always dreamt of starting his own business, so he was really impressed with David's vision and how viable it was. If he was being honest, he was a little jealous. Patrick didn't feel passionate about very much in his life, nothing to drive him to start his own venture, except maybe finance. He could open his own bookkeeping/accounting office, but then he'd serve as Ray's competitor. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt the first person who gave him an opportunity in this town. 

Patrick had had several appointments this morning, including business quarterly tax filings and personal financial planning. It was rewarding to help out others instead of slaving away for a large corporate conglomerate. Working at Ray's was a great way to get to know the citizens of Schitt's Creek, although most of his clients were older than he was. Patrick had not yet met many people his own age in town, although he was starting to get comfortable with the guys on the baseball team. 

It was Friday afternoon, and Patrick headed out a little early since his afternoon was free. The Blue Jays were playing a doubleheader, and Patrick planned to check out the games at home. He said goodbye to Ray, wishing him a good weekend, and went to his car.

Patrick's phone vibrated. It was a text from David. Patrick felt the corners of his mouth, turning up. 

**David:** Hey Patrick!

**Patrick:** Hey David! How are things at the store?

**David:** Amazing! Hey, you and Rachel should join us tonight for dinner and drinks.

**Patrick:** Sure! When? Where?

**David:** Cafe, 8pm. 

**Patrick:** We’ll see you then.

**David:** Can’t wait! :D

It occurred to Patrick after he'd accepted David's invitation that he hadn't talked to Rachel about it first, but he couldn't imagine she'd say no. They didn't have any plans for the evening, and they hadn't really gone out since Patrick got into town.

When Patrick arrived back at his apartment, he was surprised to see Rachel already home. 

As he walked in the door, Rachel got up and stared at him for a moment before walking up and pulling Patrick into a hug. She had been crying. The puffy eyes and slight make-up smudges were visible. She didn't say anything until Patrick pulled away and took her hands in his. 

"Rach, what's wrong?" Patrick said, softly gazing into Rachel's dark eyes. 

"Paddy, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"Shouldn't have what?" Patrick interrupted, his shoulders tightening. He put his hands on her shoulders, noticing she was also tense. He rubbed her shoulders ineffectively.

"Can we go sit on the couch?" Rachel asked.

Patrick nodded. Rachel let go of one hand and silently led Patrick to the couch with the other. 

Rachel's words tumbled out in a rush as soon as they were seated. "I shouldn't have fallen asleep at Josh's the other night, and you're right. I shouldn't have even gone over to his house. I think I was trying to make a good first impression, being the new girl at school. The look on your face the other night... you've barely been able to look at me. I'm so sorry." A few stray tears rolled down her cheeks, and she swiped at them, hoping Patrick wouldn't notice, but of course, he had.

"You acted like it wasn't a big deal. After everything, we've been through. I wasn't sure how to handle it..." Patrick trailed off, unsure of how to express what he really wanted to say.

"Why didn't you say something?" Rachel asked. 

"I was tired," Patrick said, running his hands through his hair, knowing that was partially true. He had considered that Josh could've come on to Rachel. Given the fact that Patrick never initiated sex, what if Josh tried to seduce Rachel? No, that wasn't possible. Rachel would never cheat, so why did this bother him so much?

"Patrick, that's not an excuse. It's been two days, and you haven't said anything," Rachel snapped back, popping off the couch and standing in front of Patrick with her hands on her hips. 

"You're right. I thought about this all day," Patrick looked up at Rachel, responding in a lower volume. 

He didn't want to fight. He just wanted to talk this out, but Rachel looked so tense, and she had been crying. They couldn't historically just talk things out. There was typically yelling involved by one of them. Yelling and crying. Even Patrick cried at times because he hated to see her cry. 

Patrick had always felt like he wasn't enough for Rachel. She needed more. She deserved more. But she always came back. She always wanted him back. And Patrick always went back, because Rachel was comfortable, familiar. Even their fights were consistent, and Patrick liked the consistency. He liked to know what to expect, and with Rachel, nothing was unexpected.

Rachel spending time with Josh was not something Rachel would typically do. Was something changing between them? Was that why he was struggling with this?

"How are we going to get married if you won't talk to me?" Rachel asked in a small voice. It looked like she might start to cry again.

"Rach, it's not like that. I know I should've said something sooner," Patrick said, trying to reason with her. It was so much work to have these arguments with her. It was exhausting, but he was used to it.

"I've been miserable the last two days because you didn't tell me this was still bothering you," Rachel said as she walked over to the window and started staring outside. Patrick guessed those tears he suspected were making an appearance, and she didn't want him to see them.

"Let me guess, you talked to Josh about it," Patrick said in a condescending tone. As soon as he said, he regretted it. Rachel was allowed to have friends, and that included Josh, but why the fuck did she have to confide in him? Patrick and Rachel's relationship was personal, and Patrick played baseball with this guy. Patrick didn't know him well. He didn't know if he would gossip. The last thing that he needed was his baseball team, knowing how much he had fucked up his relationship with this perfect woman. A woman that any smart man would give his right arm to have to worship him the way Rachel did Patrick.

"I did. Josh told me to ride it out, and everything would be okay," Rachel looked back over at Patrick, her expression unreadable.

"Why the fuck would you talk to the center of our disagreement about this? What about Twyla? You haven't talked to her in a while." Patrick asked as his voice started to rise, and his shoulders tensed. 

"I needed to talk to someone." Rachel took a deep breath. "I don't go to the cafe every morning, and with school, I haven't really seen anyone else except you and Josh. He likes you, Patrick. He's not a bad guy."

"You say I don't talk to you, but you should've talked to me," Patrick said, standing up and folding his arms across his chest. He wanted to fix this and get past this. They had to. Maybe he could just take her to the bedroom, and throw her to the bed, and... the bed...no. No, not a good idea, especially if he wanted to go to dinner with _ David _. Talking about Rose Apothecary sounded much more enjoyable than sex at the moment.

"How can I talk to you when you don't even acknowledge my presence? We live in the same space. A hello shouldn't be so hard." Rachel said, staring blankly at Patrick. 

"Why is everything so hard for us? Have you ever wondered why?" Patrick knew relationships were hard; he knew they took hard work to succeed, but why was this relationship always this hard?

"We just need to talk more, Paddy. We'll be fine." Rachel said, sounding like she was trying to convince herself more than she was trying to convince Patrick. 

"You didn't even ask me to go over to his place. I could've gone over with you. We could have helped him together and come home." Patrick suggested, knowing he should have insisted. He shouldn't have let her go, and he did. Patrick could have at least followed her. He's sitting here, making her feel like shit when he could have just gone with her and prevented this whole argument. 

Patrick went to sit back down on the couch.

"I figured you were tired after practice."

"Rach, you should've talked to me." Patrick insisted.

"You're right—all of it. I should've talked to you. I shouldn't have gone to Josh's. I was simply trying to be a friend. Please forgive me, Patrick. Please." Rachel pleaded as she moved as close as she could next to Patrick on the couch. She took his hands and squeezed them.

"I shouldn't have gone to bed. I should've talked to you when you got home. I'm sorry," Patrick said softly, looking into Rachel's soft, apologetic eyes.

Rachel leaned in and placed a soft, chaste kiss on Patrick's lips. Patrick broke off the kiss and pulled her into a hug. Patrick loved holding Rachel. She was a sense of comfort, like a security blanket. 

"David asked me to meet up for dinner tonight, and I'd like to go if that's okay with you. He probably has some business questions, and I thought it'd be nice to get out of the house and meet some folks in town. Are you okay with that?"

"Go ahead, Paddy, I have some school work to do. I'll be up when you get home. I love you."

"I love you too," Patrick said as he kissed Rachel a little more intently this time, a little deeper, and got off the couch. He wanted to send some kind of signal that they were okay, and it seemed to work because when he got off the couch, Rachel was grinning ear to ear. She was so beautiful, and her smile was one of her most attractive features. It exuded warmth like a ray of sunshine.

Patrick went into the bathroom to dab on some cologne. He gave himself a critical once-over in the mirror. He loved the purple button-down shirt he had worn today and decided to keep it on for this evening.

He made his way out of the bathroom and gave Rachel another kiss on the cheek as he got ready to leave. 

"Hot date?" Rachel asked with a grin, getting off the couch, standing straight up with her hands on her hips, staring at Patrick.

"What, the cologne?"

"Trying to impress David Rose?" Rachel said with a smirk. 

"Rach, I don't have time for another shower. I just wanted to quickly freshen up." Patrick responded truthfully. It was getting late, and he didn't want David to think he was standing him up.

"Oh, you definitely did, babe. Go have fun, but if you smell like that when we get home, I'll want a taste of that cologne." Rachel said, making her way over to Patrick. She pulled him into a deep kiss that hinted of promise.

Patrick made his way to his car and was glad he was able to escape for the evening. He didn't like to fight with Rachel, but for some reason, he really needed to just get out of the house, especially if Rachel wanted sex tonight. Patrick just wasn't in the mood, but when was he ever really in the mood? He had never been more grateful for a dinner invitation. David had invited him and Rachel, but Patrick just needed this time alone. Rachel didn't seem to mind, although she didn't know she was technically invited. 

++++

Patrick walked into Cafe Tropicale and found David at a table with a woman seated across from him. It dawned on Patrick that he wasn't sure who that was. If he brought Rachel, she'd know who it was. Damn it. These kinds of decisions always backfired on Patrick like Christmas parties at his former accounting firm. All the guys insisted they were going stag, and sure enough, Patrick would be the only one to show up without a date or celebrations after baseball state championships. The girlfriends were always there when the guys insisted they just wanted a guys night out. It always made Patrick look like the chumpy boyfriend. Even in Schitt's Creek, he still played that role, not purposefully, of course.

Patrick walked over to the table and waved, David slid over almost too quickly, but Patrick didn't notice.

"You must be Rachel's button faced fiance, Patrick," the woman said with much more enthusiasm than Patrick was ready for. He was still unsure as to who he was talking to. Even though incredibly perky, she was cute. 

"Patrick, this is my sister, Alexis. Alexis, this is Patrick." David said, gesturing back and forth and continued, "My sister has been very excited to meet you."

"Oh?" Patrick asked, raising an eyebrow. This made sense. Alexis, in her own way, was just as animated as David.

"Yeah….yes….David has told me all about you," Alexis said, flashing her million-dollar watt smile.

"I was telling her about how I came to incorporate the other day, and of course, Alexis knows Rachel. Where is Rachel, by the way?"

"She had some schoolwork to do, but speaking of incorporating, when are we going for pancakes?" Patrick said as he felt his face blush, thinking of David's visits to Ray's office a couple of days ago, especially David's voicemails. Thinking about David's voicemails was a much better distraction than thinking about his relationship that almost imploded a little while ago.

"Oh, pancakes, we can go anytime you like. You like pancakes too?" David asked, innocently, turning to face Patrick. 

"Oh, I do," Patrick said with a smile, which he was pretty sure looked more like a grin. He wasn't sure if it was the fact that David didn't remember the voicemail about pancakes or the heat Patrick was feeling from David's leg rubbing up against his. Their legs were almost lined up perfectly. Either David didn't mind or didn't notice. Regardless, Patrick found himself remembering how much he liked the sensation, although he never acknowledged it back then. His brain may have forgotten how David's body felt against his own, but his body certainly didn't. 

"Yes, let's do that. Just preferably not before 10 A.M., I'm not a morning person." David said as he looked over at Patrick and scrunched his face.

"Noted. That'll give me plenty of time to get in a workout at the gym." Patrick replied casually. Patrick tried to get to the gym in Elmdale daily as part of his morning routine. 

"Day-vid, you should join Patrick. Look at him. You could be cute little gym buddies or something." Alexis exclaimed, enthusiastically.

"Thank you, Alexis," David said, tone sounding sarcastic.

Patrick let out a slight chuckle watching the exchange between David and Alexis. Alexis continued to insist that David join the gym, trying to convince him that he needed to look like Patrick. Still, Patrick knew that David looked good just the way he was. Not that he was staring or studying him for that matter, but you couldn't walk by David Rose and not notice how attractive he was. It just wasn't possible. He was good-looking ten years ago, and time had only been kinder to David Rose. 

They ordered dinner and drinks. Patrick chose Beer, and David ordered a glass of red wine. It wasn't a cosmo, but maybe David didn't like cosmos anymore, or perhaps Cafe Tropicale didn't serve liquor. Wine was the next best thing. 

"So...uh...um...when is my business license coming in?" David asked casually, but there was a hint of anxiety in his tone. 

"I asked for a rush on it. I'm hoping you'll have it next week. I can bring it by the store if you'd like." Patrick replied. 

"Thank you, Patrick. That would be very nice." David said with a warm smile. 

"I'm really excited about the store David. I can't wait to see what you've done with the place."

"Um, yeah, so much more work than I expected. The floors need to be redone, the walls need painting. I need new fixtures. I have a certain aesthetic planned for the store, so it's taking a little longer to make everything right." David explained, using his hands to emphasize his words.

"I bet. You look like a real do-it-yourselfer." Patrick said with a grin, taking a sip of his Beer.

"Ew, can you imagine? No, that's the other part of my problem. Trying to find someone who won't rob me blind to create the look that will establish my brand." David said, starting to get more animated with his hands as he waved them around.

"Well, do you like baseball?" Patrick asked curiously.

"That is some game with a bat and a ball?"

"That's the one," Patrick said with a slight chuckle.

"Well, not particularly. I feel like watching paint dry would be more exciting than watching balls flying through the air." David says, waving one hand in a circle.

"How about you come to my baseball game on Sunday? I'll talk to the team and see if I can get some of the guys to help with some of the work you need. I'm willing to bet you can get away with paying them in beer and pizza, and you'll have the pleasure of my company."

"Umm, okay, and uh, what do you want, um, out of this?" David asked hesitantly, staring intently at Patrick.

"Beer and pizza, of course. We all need a little help from time to time, and starting a business on a small budget is no easy feat. I'm glad to help where I can." Patrick smiled.

"Umm...I didn't ask for help." David said, raising an eyebrow

"You sure about that?" Patrick said with a smirk.

"Is that what you thought I wanted?" David asked, now scrunching his forehead.

"Well, if someone told me they were worried about money and needed a job done, I'd assume they wanted help, but you seem to have it all under control. I'm very happy for you, David." Patrick said, putting his hands in the air and took another sip of his Beer. Patrick knew David needed help, but either he didn't know how to ask for it, or was afraid to ask. David's whole plan was fascinating to Patrick, which meant he was pretty determined to help, but David needed to ask. Patrick wasn't going to force himself on him. 

"Sshhh, David. He's trying to help you. Let Button help you." Alexis interceded.

"He has a name, Alexis." David snapped.

"Patrick, I'm sorry. My brother can be so difficult at times." Alexis said, reaching across the table and squeezing Patrick's hand.

"Would we call that difficult?" David asked in a sarcastic tone.

Their debate was cut off by the arrival of their dinner. Alexis had ordered a garden salad, David had ordered a turkey sandwich with french fries and Patrick a tuna fish sandwich with french fries.

Patrick excused himself to use the restroom.

++++

"David, what's your problem? Why don't you want his help?" Alexis asked, softly like a whisper, as soon as Patrick was well out of their sight. 

"For once, I want to do this on my own."

"Is this about Mom and Dad? Forget them. You're already doing this without them." Alexis said in a comforting tone. He knew she meant well. She wanted him to succeed.

"Maybe I need to prove this to myself?" David said softly. He took the news about the gallery very hard. His mother would never admit it, but he was sure she was _not_ why he got the General Store space. He just couldn't prove it. He really didn't care at this point. What he did know was Johnny and Moira Rose had no financial stake in Rose Apothecary, nor did they have the means this time to invest in it.

"David, this is your business. Do you think Dad started Rose Video without any help?" Alex reached across the table and grabbed David's hands, holding them.

"No," David nodded.

"He's trying to help you, and he likes you. I see the way you two look at each other."

"He's engaged to be married," David said softly as he spotted Patrick walking back to the table. David took a bite of his sandwich.

They finished up their dinner, and David decided to order dessert, but he decided to take it to go. He left money for dinner and said goodbye to Patrick and Alexis. 

David made his way across the street to the store. He just wanted a few moments to be alone in his own space. Yes, the soon to be Rose Apothecary was _his_ space. It was dark, so he turned on the lights and took a moment to look around, trying not to panic about all the work he had left. How was he going to do this on his own? Who was he going to hire? Should he ask for help? No, because that would show weakness. David was determined to figure this out. Maybe he could take out a small business loan. Just enough to cover the cost of the contract work, he needed to be done, and then he wouldn't need anyone.

He grabbed his dessert, a brownie topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup, sliding his back against the counter, letting his body fall till he hit the ground, and crossed his legs. He got lost in his own thoughts about potential business debt, eating his dessert, when the door opened. 

"Hey David," Patrick said with a smile.

"What are you doing here?" David asked, eyebrows raised.

Patrick just stood and looked around, he walked around for a minute or two, and David watched him. Patrick seemed to be studying everything. He looked up at the ceiling, he looked at the floors, the walls. 

"There's a lot of work that needs to be done, but you don't have to do it alone. Ronnie's a general contractor. I bet she can help, and I can talk to the guys on my baseball team." Patrick suggested. 

"What's in it for you? People don't usually do nice things without a motive." David asked, looking up at Patrick. David wanted to believe that he was talking to the same person he met ten years ago. He could've trusted that boy with his life. He wanted to be close to Patrick again, even if they could only be friends. David could accept that. He'd have to. Patrick was straight and was getting married.

Patrick walked over and sat down on the floor across from him, crisscrossing his legs. 

"I believe in this business. I think you have something here. I know you're from New York, but in small towns, we help each other out. I'd like to think maybe we could be friends? Friends help each other out. What do you say?" 

David needed to trust him, and he knew he could when he felt his entire body relax after looking into those warm, honey-brown eyes. 

"Okay, okay, what time is the baseball game?" David nodded, gathered his lips to one side, and smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think. Rachel and Patrick fighting or Patrick ready to help David set up the store? 
> 
> You can find me on tumblr under "vanillahigh00." I don't post much as I am navigating the tumblr world, but feel free to talk to me on there! 
> 
> You can also find me on IG under "vanilla_high_00."
> 
> Each chapter's title will be based on a song. I will be storing a playlist for this fic on Spotify. Chapter10's title is based on the song, "You've Got A Friend," by James Taylor.
> 
> The playlist can be found [here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0l0LLTswXGeOLJ8jpwrDZ6?si=D-TjIwP7SV-jX6gg2bkx2g)! I hope you enjoy it!


	11. Happy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had planned for this chapter to be much longer, but taking me some time to put together all the components I wanted in this chapter, but I at least wanted to get an update out there. More to come soon! Thank you so much for everyone who is bearing with me. I promise you this story will not get abandoned. I'm hoping to post regular updates soon!
> 
> I can never thank enough my lovely friend for looking this over[ edie4711](https://archiveofourown.org/users/edie4711/pseuds/edie4711). <3

"Morning Babe," Rachel said, watching Patrick with bright eyes and a full-mouthed smile. She looked happy and very relaxed. 

"Morning, Rach," Patrick responded as he slowly started to wake up. Patrick was a morning person, but so was Rachel, and nine times out of ten, she was awake before him. 

Rachel moved into Patrick's space and rested her head on his chest. Patrick pulled her in as she got closer, enjoying naked morning cuddles. 

Patrick had kissed Rachel last night, and before he knew it, they were in the bedroom. Rachel had asked to try a new position other than their typical vanilla sex. It was almost like a good workout and an adrenaline rush all in one. 

"Excited for the game today? You're first game against Bob's garage?" Rachel asked as she leaned her head up to look at Patrick. 

"Yeah, I'm pretty excited for the game, and you're coming, right? My personal cheerleader?" Patrick said, looking down at Rachel, placing a kiss on her cheek. She was so relaxed. It was little moments like these and the smiles on her face that kept him going back. She really wanted him to be happy. 

"I wouldn't miss it. You're going to do great, Paddy."

"I'm feeling pretty good about this one," Patrick said with a grin, and he really was. 

Ronnie had teased him relentlessly when they ran into each other at the cafe earlier in the week. Patrick's team was pretty good, but she claimed that her team was better. She reminded him that he was the new guy in town and couldn't possibly know how good her team was, teasing that he was in for a surprise. Patrick didn't let it bother him. 

"Well, I hate to ruin how much I love laying here in your arms, but we need breakfast, and you need to get to the field. I'm going to grab a shower and make you some breakfast." Rachel said as she leaned up to give Patrick a light, chaste kiss and rolled out of bed. 

Patrick stayed in bed for a bit longer, relaxing. He was starting to feel like a part of the town, and things with Rachel were good right now. 

A little bit later, he could hear Rachel moving around in the kitchen and figured he should get out of bed. He got up, slid on his boxer briefs, t-shirt, and sweats, and made his way to the bathroom to throw some water on his face. Patrick smiled to himself as he thought about the baseball game today. It would almost feel like home with his friends watching.

As Patrick made it into the kitchen, Rachel had already made breakfast with everything set on the table. She had laid out a plate consisting of a cheese omelet, bacon, and toast as well as some water for tea. 

"Thanks, Rach!" Patrick looked over at Rachel and smiled. She really took good care of him. She would make a perfect wife. Patrick knew that.

"So, did you say David is coming to the game today?" Rachel asked after a bite of her breakfast.

"Yes, he needs some help with the store, and he's on a tight budget, so I thought I'd try to see if I could recruit some of the guys to help with some of the light work that needed to be done," Patrick responded after taking a bite of his toast.

"That seems really nice of you. You didn't say much about dinner the other night. How did that go?"

"We talked mostly about the store. It needs a lot of work, and he's concerned about how he's going to pay for it." Patrick took a couple bites of his omelet and continued, "Starting a business is hard, but his store's going to be great. An amazing addition to the town."

"He's lucky to have you in his corner." Rachel smiled.

Patrick grinned. They talked about school and about Patrick's work at Ray's before they wrapped up breakfast. Rachel told Patrick she'd clean up and told Patrick to go get ready for the game. 

++++++

"Remind me again why I agreed to an afternoon of watching people run around in a square?" David asked as he walked out of the bathroom after showering, with perfectly styled hair and fresh, moisturized skin. 

"Um, David, it's a diamond."

"Since when do you know anything about the baseball?"

"Duh David, did you forget about Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez? The poor things fought over me for a whole season before I decided to jet set with Alejandro."

David rolled his eyes in disgust. How his sister managed to retain any kind of fact about baseball still surprised him, considering she came home drunk many nights during the season in question. Although now it almost seemed embarrassing that Alexis knew more about this sport than him. Somehow David hoped that he would find some interest in this sport because isn't that what friends do? They support each other and do what the other liked? Did that mean David had to go to all of Patrick's games if they were going to be friends? God, he hoped not.

"You told Button you would go to the game, and I told Ted I would go. You wouldn't want to let your new 'friend' down. Besides, I bet he'd look adorable in those tight baseball pants." Alexis said, casually, sitting down at the table applying her makeup. 

Alexis looked almost annoyed. She probably was. They had had this conversation after dinner the other night. After David got back to the motel from the store, Alexis immediately grilled him as she knew Patrick had gone to the store. She was the only person who knew how David felt about Patrick, and even with every obstacle in front of them, Stevie, Rachel, the fact that Patrick was straight, she still held out hope. It was endearing, but actually annoying, considering that it just wasn't possible.

"I don't hate the idea of watching Patrick run around in his cute little baseball costume," David said casually, putting his hands on his hips.

"Good because I have the perfect shirt for you to wear." Alexis got up from the table and moved over to her dresser. 

"Excuse me? I _think_ I can dress myself." David said as his eyebrows raised. He was in a white t-shirt with back jeans that ripped perfectly at the knees. 

"Oh, come on, we'll be like twins supporting the team!" Alexis opened a take out container from Cafe Tropicale, turning back to David to reveal two t-shirts. She handed one to David. "Wear this today. Patrick will be so impressed you're wearing his colors."

"Um, that's a hard pass. I don't wear green." David protested. 

He had never once gone into a store, looking for a piece of green clothing, deciding that he needed to have it. It just didn't fit his personal aesthetic, but it was okay if it worked for other people. He was pretty sure it would work for Patrick, even if his wardrobe was filled with department store brands. Everything Patrick wore worked for him with a body like his. 

"Come on, David, I could ask Twyla if there is a matching baseball cap too."

"I draw the line at hats. My hair doesn't do this naturally." David gestured to his head as he cringed.

David headed into the bathroom with his shirt. He gently placed his Cafe Tropicale shirt over his head, very proud that he didn't move a single hair. David gave himself a once over and was surprisingly okay with this spectator look. He threw a silver chain around his neck, almost feeling excited about watching Patrick play this afternoon.

He could hear Alexis pounding on the bathroom door, "Ugh, David. Are you almost ready for the game?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is the baseball game and the aftermath...
> 
> Come chat with me about SC or life on tumblr under "vanillahigh00." I love reblogging all the beautiful posts that our wonderful fandom is creating! Every once in a while I'll sneak in a post.
> 
> You can also find me on IG under "vanilla_high_00."
> 
> Each chapter's title will be based on a song. I will be storing a playlist for this fic on Spotify. Chapter11's title is based on the song "Happy" by Pharrel Williams. The overall vibe this morning is that everyone is happy. 
> 
> The playlist can be found [here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0l0LLTswXGeOLJ8jpwrDZ6?si=D-TjIwP7SV-jX6gg2bkx2g)! I hope you enjoy it!


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